Editing History of Portugal (1415–1578) (section)

==Imperial expansion (1481–1557)==
[[File:Illuminated Portrayel of King John II of Portugal, Rui de Pina.PNG|thumb|King John II in ''Chronica d'El-Rei D. João II''; [[Rui de Pina]], c. 1497–1504.]]

[[John II of Portugal|John II]] (r. 1481–1495) famously restored the policies of [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] exploration, reviving the work of his great-uncle, [[Henry the Navigator]]. The [[Portugal in the period of discoveries|Portuguese exploration]]s were his main priority in government, pushing south the known coast of Africa with the purpose of discovering the maritime route to India and breaking into the [[spice trade]]. [[Manuel I of Portugal|Manuel I]] (r. 1495–1521) proved a worthy successor to his cousin John II, supporting Portuguese exploration of the Atlantic Ocean and the development of Portuguese commerce.

Under [[John III of Portugal|John III]] (r. 1521–1557), Portuguese possessions were extended in [[Asia]] and in the New World through the [[Portuguese colonization of the Americas|Portuguese colonization]] of [[Colonial Brazil|Brazil]]. John III's policy of reinforcing Portugal's bases in India (such as [[Goa]]) secured Portugal's [[monopoly]] over the [[spice trade]] of [[cloves]] and [[nutmeg]] from the [[Maluku Islands]]. As a result, John III has been called the "Grocer King". On the eve of his death in 1557, the [[Portuguese empire]] spanned almost 1 billion acres (about 4 million square kilometers). During his reign, the Portuguese became the first Europeans to make contact with both China, under the [[Ming Dynasty]], and Japan, during the [[Muromachi period]] (see [[Nanban trade]]). John III abandoned Muslim territories in North Africa in favor of trade with India and investment in Brazil. In Europe, he improved relations with the [[Baltic region]] and the [[Rhineland]], hoping that this would bolster Portuguese trade.