Editing John III of Portugal

{{short description|King of Portugal from 1521 to 1557}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = John III
| image        = D. João III - Cristóvão Lopes (attrib).png
| caption      = Portrait of John attributed to [[Cristóvão Lopes]], copy of a 1552 original by [[Anthonis Mor]]
| succession   = [[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of Portugal]]
| reign        = 13 December 1521 – {{nowrap|11 June 1557}}
| cor-type     = Acclamation
| coronation   = 19 December 1521
| predecessor  = [[Manuel I of Portugal|Manuel I]]
| successor    = [[Sebastian of Portugal|Sebastian]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal|Catherine of Austria]]|1525}}
| issue        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Afonso, Hereditary Prince of Portugal (1526)|Afonso, Prince of Portugal]]
* [[Maria Manuela, Princess of Asturias]]
* [[Manuel, Hereditary Prince of Portugal (1531–1537)|Manuel, Prince of Portugal]]
* [[Philip, Prince of Portugal]]
* [[João Manuel, Prince of Portugal]]}}
| issue-link   = #Death and dynastic issue
| issue-pipe   = more...
| house        = [[House of Aviz|Aviz]]
| father       = [[Manuel I of Portugal]]
| mother       = [[Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal|Maria of Aragon]]
| birth_date   = 6 June 1502
| birth_place  = [[São Jorge Castle|Alcáçova Palace]], [[Lisbon]], Portugal
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1557|6|11|1502|6|7}}
| death_place  = [[Ribeira Palace]], Lisbon, Portugal
| burial_place = [[Jerónimos Monastery]]
| religion     = [[Catholic Church in Portugal|Catholic]]
| signature    = Assinatura D. João III.svg
}}

'''John III''' ({{langx|pt|João III}} {{IPA|pt|ʒuˈɐ̃w}}; 6 June 1502 – 11 June 1557),{{sfn|Pereira|Rodrigues|1904|p=1043}} nicknamed '''The Pious''' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''o Piedoso''),<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Paes|first=Maria Paula Dias Couto|date=2007|title=De Romatinas a Christianitas: o Humanismo à portuguesa e as visões sobre o reinado de Dom João III, O Piedoso|journal=Varia Historia|language=pt|volume=23|issue=38|pages=500–514|doi=10.1590/S0104-87752007000200015|issn=0104-8775|doi-access=free}}</ref> was the [[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of Portugal]] and [[Kingdom of the Algarve|the Algarve]] from 1521 until he died in 1557. He was the son of [[Manuel I of Portugal|King Manuel I]] and [[Maria of Aragon (1482–1517)|Maria of Aragon]], the third daughter of the [[Catholic Monarchs of Spain]], [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] and [[Isabella I of Castile]]. John succeeded his father in 1521 at the age of nineteen.

During his rule, Portuguese possessions were extended [[Portuguese presence in Asia|in Asia]] and the [[Portuguese colonization of the Americas|Americas]] through the [[Colonial Brazil|Portuguese colonization of 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]]. On the eve of his death in 1557, the [[Portuguese Empire]] had a global dimension and spanned almost {{convert|4|e6km2|abbr=off}}.

During his reign, the Portuguese became the first Europeans to contact [[Muromachi period|Muromachi Japan]]. He abandoned Muslim territories in [[North Africa]] in favor of trade with India and investments in Brazil. In Europe, he improved relations with the [[Baltic region]] and the [[Rhineland]], hoping that this would bolster Portuguese trade.

==Early life==
[[Image:O Príncipe D. João III.jpg|thumb|left|Detail of Prince John from the ''Triptych of the Infantes''; [[Master of Lourinhã]], 1516]]
John, the eldest son of King [[Manuel I of Portugal|Manuel I]] born from his second wife [[Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal|Maria of Aragon]], was born in [[Lisbon]] on 6 June 1502.{{sfn|Pereira|Rodrigues|1904|p=1043}}{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=113}}{{sfn|Sanceau|1970|p=50}} The event was marked by the presentation of [[Gil Vicente]]'s ''Visitation Play or the Monologue of the Cowherd'' (''Auto da Visitação ou Monólogo do Vaqueiro'') in the queen's chamber.

The young prince was sworn heir to the throne in 1503, the year his youngest sister, [[Isabella of Portugal]], Empress Consort of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] between 1527 and 1538, was born.

John was educated by notable scholars of the time, including the [[astrologer]] [[Tomás de Torres]], [[D. Diogo Ortiz de Villegas|Diogo de Ortiz, Bishop of Viseu]], and Luís Teixeira Lobo, one of the first Portuguese [[Renaissance humanists]], rector of the [[University of Siena]] (1476) and Professor of Law at Ferrara (1502).{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} He studied Latin, Greek, mathematics, and cosmography.{{sfn|Sanceau|1970|p=143}}

John's [[chronicler]] António de Castilho said that, "Dom João III faced problems easily, complementing his lack of culture with a practice formation that he always showed during his reign" (''Elogio d'el rei D. João de Portugal, terceiro, do nome''). In 1514 he was given his own house, and a few years later began to help his father in administrative duties.

At the age of sixteen John was chosen to marry his first cousin, the 20-year-old [[Eleanor of Austria]], the eldest daughter of [[Philip the Handsome]] of Austria-Burgundy and Queen [[Joanna of Castile]], but instead she married his widowed father Manuel. John took deep offence at this: his chroniclers say he became melancholic and was never quite the same. Some historians also argue this was one of the main reasons that John later became fervently religious, giving him the name of ''the Pious'' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''o Piedoso'').

===Initial reign===
On 19 December 1521 John was crowned king in the Church of São Domingos in Lisbon, beginning a thirty-six-year reign characterized by extensive activity in internal and overseas politics, especially in relations with other major European states. John III continued the [[Absolutism (European history)|absolutist]] politics of his predecessors. He called the [[Portuguese Cortes]] only three times and at great intervals: 1525 in [[Torres Novas]], 1535 in [[Évora]] and 1544 in [[Almeirim]]. During the early part of his reign, he also tried to restructure administrative and judicial life in his realm.

The marriage of John's sister [[Isabella of Portugal]] to Holy Roman Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], enabled the Portuguese king to forge a stronger alliance with Spain and the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. To strengthen his ties with [[Austria]] he married his maternal first cousin [[Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal|Catherine of Austria]], younger sister of Charles V and his erstwhile fiancée Eleanor, in the town of [[Crato, Portugal|Crato]]. John and Catherine had nine children who all unfortunately died at young ages. By the time of John's death, only his grandson [[Sebastian of Portugal|Sebastian]] was alive to inherit his crown.

==Policy==
[[File:Joao iii REI.jpg|thumb|right|King John III portrayed as the patron of the [[University of Coimbra]]]]
The large and far-flung [[Portuguese Empire]] was difficult and expensive to administer and was burdened with huge [[external debt]] and [[trade deficit]]s. Portugal's [[India]]n and [[Far East]]ern interests grew increasingly chaotic under the poor administration of ambitious governors. John III responded with new appointments that proved troubled and short-lived: in some cases, the new governors even had to fight their predecessors to take up their appointments. The resulting failures in administration brought on a gradual decline of the Portuguese trade monopoly. Considering the challenging military situation Portuguese forces faced worldwide, on 7 August 1549, John III declared every male subject between 20 and 65 years old recruitable for military service.

Among John III's many colonial governors in Asia were [[Vasco da Gama]], [[Pedro Mascarenhas]], [[Lopo Vaz de Sampaio]], [[Nuno da Cunha]], [[Estêvão da Gama (16th century)|Estêvão da Gama]], [[Martim Afonso de Sousa]], [[João de Castro]] and Henrique de Meneses.
Overseas, the Empire was threatened by the [[Ottoman Empire]] in both the Indian Ocean and North Africa, causing Portugal to increase spending on defense and fortifications. In the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], where Portuguese ships already had to withstand constant attacks of [[privateer]]s, an attempted expansion of the [[French colonial empire]] in Brazil, [[France Antarctique]], created yet another front. The French allied with [[indigenous peoples of South America]] against the Portuguese, and military and political interventions were used. Eventually, the French were forced out, but not until 1565.

In the first years of John III's reign, explorations in the [[Far East]] continued, and the Portuguese reached China and Japan; however, these accomplishments were offset by pressure from a strengthening [[Ottoman Empire]] under [[Suleiman the Magnificent]], and especially in India, where attacks became more frequent. The expense of defending Indian interests was huge. To pay for it, John III abandoned several strongholds in North Africa: [[Safi, Morocco|Safim]], [[Azemmour]], [[Ksar es-Seghir]] and [[Asilah|Arzila]].

John III achieved a crucial political victory in securing the control of the [[Maluku Islands]], the "Spice Islands" claimed by Spain since the [[Magellan expedition]]. After almost a decade of skirmishes in Southeast Asia, he signed the [[Treaty of Zaragoza]] with Emperor Charles V on 22 April 1529. It defined the areas of Spanish and Portuguese influence in Asia and established the anti-meridian to the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The New Cambridge Modern History |volume=II, The Reformation, 1520–1559 |editor-first=Geoffrey Rudolph |editor-last= Elton |page=632 |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year=1990 |isbn=0-521-34536-7}}</ref>

===International relations===
The reign of John III was marked by active diplomacy. With Spain, he made alliances through marriage that ensured peace in the [[Iberian Peninsula]] for years. He married [[Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal|Catherine of Austria]], the daughter of [[Philip the Handsome]], the king of Castile and the [[Burgundian Netherlands]]. His sister, [[Isabella of Portugal]], married [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]]. His daughter [[Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal|Maria Manuela]] married King [[Philip II of Spain]] – and there were others. However, the intermarriage of these closely related royal families may have contributed to the poor health of John's children and future King [[Sebastian of Portugal]].

John III remained neutral during the war between France and Spain but stood firm in fighting the attacks of French privateers.

He strengthened relations with the [[Papal States]] by establishing the [[Portuguese Inquisition]] in 1536, as well as the adhesion of the Portuguese clergy to the [[Counter-Reformation]]. This relationship with the Catholic Church made it possible for John to name whoever he desired for important religious positions in Portugal: his brothers [[Henry, King of Portugal|Henry]] and [[Cardinal-Infante Afonso of Portugal|Afonso]] were made [[cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinals]] and his biological son, Duartem was made [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Braga|archbishop of Braga]].

Commercial relations were intensified with England, the countries of the [[Baltic region]], and [[Flanders]] during John III's reign. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the world, Portugal was the first European nation to contact Japan. In China, [[Macau]] was offered to the Portuguese, and soon, Portugal controlled significant trade routes in the area. In South Asia, the Portuguese continued their hostile stance against Muslim rivals and insurgent Indian leaders.

==Culture==
[[Image:D. João III - Cristovao Lopes.jpg|thumb|left|''Portrait of the King D. João III of Portugal''; [[Cristóvão Lopes]], 1552]]
John III's support for the [[Renaissance humanism|humanist cause]] was significant. He patronized various writers, including [[Gil Vicente]], [[Garcia de Resende]], [[Sá de Miranda]], [[Bernardim Ribeiro]], [[Fernão Mendes Pinto]], [[João de Barros]] and [[Luís de Camões]]. He also supported the mathematician [[Pedro Nunes]] and the physician [[Garcia de Orta]]. Through his links to Portuguese humanists such as Luís Teixeira Lobo, [[Erasmus]] dedicated his ''Chrysostomi Lucubrationes'' to John III of Portugal in 1527.<ref>John C. Olin, Desiderius Erasmus, [https://books.google.com/books?id=LRL7031O-tIC&q=king+John+III&pg=PA47 "Six essays on Erasmus and a translation of Erasmus' letter to Carondelet, 1523"], p. 47 Fordham Univ Press, 1979 {{ISBN|0-8232-1024-3}}</ref><ref>Marcel Bataillon, [https://books.google.com/books?id=70SxXHhPalgC&q=Luis+Teixeira+Lobo&pg=PA73 "Études sur le Portugal au temps de l'humanisme"], pp.73–77 UC Biblioteca Geral 1, 1952</ref> French mathematician [[Jean Fernel]] and Spanish academic [[Juan Luis Vives]] also dedicated works to the king.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=200}}

John awarded many scholarships to universities abroad, mainly in the [[University of Paris]], where fifty Portuguese students were sent to the [[Collège Sainte-Barbe]] headed by [[Diogo de Gouveia]]. He definitively transferred the Portuguese university from [[University of Lisbon|Lisbon]] to [[University of Coimbra|Coimbra]] in 1537.

In 1547 John established in Coimbra a College of Arts and Humanities ([[Liberal arts]]) and invited [[André de Gouveia]], principal of the [[College of Guienne]] in [[Bordeaux]], to head the college and organize faculty.{{sfn|Lach|1994|p=30}}<ref name="Lach">{{cite book | last=Lach | first=Donald Frederick | year=1994 | title=Asia in the making of Europe: A century of wonder. The literary arts. The scholarly disciplines| edition= University of Chicago Press, 1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hhE3sPY78s0C&q=Andre+de+Gouveia&pg=PA12 | access-date=2010-12-06| isbn=0-226-46733-3 |pages=30–31| publisher=University of Chicago Press }}</ref> André de Gouveia assembled a group of Scottish, French, and Portuguese scholars who had been educated in France.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=195}} Those included [[George Buchanan]], [[Diogo de Teive (humanist)|Diogo de Teive]], [[Jerónimo Osório]], Nicolas de Grouchy, Guillaume Guérante and [[Élie Vinet]], who were decisive for the dissemination of the contemporary research of [[Pedro Nunes]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Hooykaas | first=Reijer | year=1979 | title=The Erasmian influence on D. João de Castro | edition=1st, UC Biblioteca Geral 1, 1979 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZCk7NfA-aQC&q=Andre+de+Gouveia&pg=PA26 | access-date=2010-12-06 }}</ref> However, rivalry between the orthodox views of the "Parisians" group headed by Diogo de Gouveia and the more secular views of the "Bordeaux" school headed by his nephew André de Gouveia led to accusations of heterodoxy and Protestant sympathies, resulting in all foreign professors leaving by 1551.{{sfn|Lach|1994|p=31}} The Society of Jesus took over administration of the college in 1555.{{sfn|Lach|1994|p=32}}

Another noteworthy aspect of John III's rule was the support he gave to [[missionaries]] in the [[New World]], Asia and Africa. In 1540, after successive appeals to [[Pope Paul III]] asking for missionaries for the Portuguese [[East Indies]] under the "[[Padroado]]" agreement, John III appointed [[Francis Xavier]] to take charge as [[Apostolic Nuncio]]. He had been enthusiastically endorsed by Diogo de Gouveia, his teacher at the Collège Sainte-Barbe, and advised the king to draw the youngsters of the newly formed Society of Jesus.<ref name="Lach"/> The Jesuits were particularly important for mediating Portuguese relations with native peoples.

==Inquisition==
[[Image:Inquisicao.jpg|thumb|right|300px|''An [[auto-da-fé]] of the Portuguese Inquisition, in the [[Terreiro do Paço]] in front of [[Ribeira Palace]] in Lisbon.'']]
John III was persuaded to establish the [[Inquisition]] in Portugal by pressure from neighboring Castile and reports that [[New Christian]]s had failed to properly renounce [[Judaism]].{{sfn|Disney|2009|p=181}} Following ten years of negotiations with Rome, a Portuguese Inquisition received papal dispensation in 1536.{{sfn|Disney|2009|p=181}}{{sfn|Marques|1976|pages=206-207}} The first Grand Inquisitor was [[Henry, King of Portugal|Cardinal Henry]], the king's brother (who would later himself become king).{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=288}}{{sfn|Disney|2009|p=182}}

The activities of the Inquisition extended from book censorship, repression and trial for [[divination]], [[witchcraft]] and [[bigamy]], as well as the prosecution of sexual crimes, especially [[sodomy]].{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=287}} Because Protestants and Jews did not have a significant presence in Portugal, the Inquisition instead targeted New Christians.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=287}}

The Inquisition in Portugal gradually became a remarkably powerful entity with its own extensive bureaucracy.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=288}} There were inquisitorial courts in Lisbon, Coimbra, Évora and Goa that each featured a central office and employed dozens of officials.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=289}} The Inquisition's procedures were severe and irregular, accepting any denunciation as evidence, denying prisoners the right to choose their defenders, and allowing no appeal outside the Inquisition.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=292}} Punishments ranged from fines and imprisonment to property confiscation and banishment, with executions for heresy carried out by Crown justice.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=292}}{{sfn|Disney|2009|p=183}} Between 1543 and 1684, at least 1,379 people were burned at the stake, and a minimum of 19,247 were condemned, with many dying in prison without trial.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=292}}

==Imperial management==
[[Image:Portuguese Empire map.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Map of [[Portuguese Empire|Portugal and its colonial empire]] alongside its military and trade outposts, at the height of the reign of King John III of Portugal.]]

===Luso-African relations===
In John III's time, trade between the Portuguese and Africans was extremely intense in ''[[Factory (trading post)|feitorias]]'' such [[Arguim]], [[Elmina Castle|Mina]], [[Mombasa]], [[Sofala]] or [[Portuguese Mozambique|Mozambique]].<ref>"Common products were salt, wheat, horses, carpets, [[Textile|fabric]], Irish and English clothing, [[blade]]s, [[tin]] for African natives' coins, copper or tin vases, [[Exoskeleton|shells]] from the [[Canary Islands]] that Ethiopians carry on their necks as an amulet against lightning, yellow and green beads from [[Nuremberg]], and [[Manillas|brass armlets]]" (Basílio Vasconcelos, "Itinerário" de Jerónimo Münzer, 1932), in exchange for gold, [[slavery|slaves]], [[ivory]] and bush redpepper brought by the Portuguese.</ref> Under John III, several expeditions started in coastal Africa and advanced to the interior of the continent. These expeditions were formed by groups of [[navigator]]s, [[merchant]]s, adventurers and [[missionaries]]. Missions in Africa were established by the College of Arts of Coimbra. The objective was to increase the king's [[dominion]], develop peaceful relations and to [[Christianize]] the [[indigenous peoples]]. Relations with local rulers were often complicated by trade in [[slave]]s, as shown by John's correspondence with them.<ref>Here is a passage from a letter to [[Manikongo]], the King of the Congo: "Now, I say, like you said that there was no capture of slaves in your Kingdom, I just want to provide you with flour and wine for your Eucharistic rites, and for that it would only be needed a caravel each year; if it seems right to you, in exchange for 10,000 slaves and 10,000 armlets and 10,000 ivory tooth, that, it is said, in the Congo there is not much, not even a ship per year; so, this and more shall be as you want."</ref>

John III refused to abandon all of the Portuguese North African strongholds, but he had to make choices based on the economic or strategic value of each possession. John III decided to leave [[Safi, Morocco|Safim]] and [[Azamor]] in 1541, followed by [[Asilah|Arzila]] and [[Alcácer Ceguer]] in 1549. The fortresses of [[Ceuta]], [[Tangiers]] and [[Mazagan]] were strengthened "to face the new military techniques, imposed by the generalization of heavy artillery, combined with light fire weapons and blades".{{sfn|Mattoso|1993}}

John III's [[court jester]] was [[João de Sá Panasco]], a black African, who was eventually admitted to the prestigious [[Military Order of Saint James of the Sword|Order of Saint James]] based on his service in the [[Conquest of Tunis (1535)]].<ref name="Goodwin1955">{{cite book |last=Goodwin |first=Stefan |title=Africa in Europe: Antiquity into the Age of Global Exploration |publisher=Lexington Books |date=1955 |pages=167 |isbn=9780739129944 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QUA5AAAAQBAJ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dutra|first=Francis A.|date=2011|title=Ser mulato em Portugal nos primórdios da época moderna|journal=Tempo|volume=16|issue=30|pages=101–114|doi=10.1590/S1413-77042011000100005|issn=1413-7704|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Luso-Asian relations===
{{main|Nanban trade}}
[[File:Saint Francis Xavier taking leave of King John III (1635) - José Avelar Rebelo.png|thumb|right|250px|''[[Francis Xavier]] asking King John III for the Evangelization of Asia''; [[José de Avelar Rebelo|Avelar Rebelo]], 1635.]]
Before the reign of John III, the Portuguese had already reached [[Thailand|Siam]] (1511), the [[Maluku Islands]] (1512), the Chinese littoral (1513), [[Guangzhou|Canton]] (1517) and [[Timor]] (1515). During John's rule the Portuguese reached Japan, and at the end of John's reign [[Macau]] was offered to Portugal by China. From India, John III imported an amazing variety of spices, herbs, minerals, and fabrics; from Malacca, exotic woods and spice; from Bengala, fabrics and exotic foodstuffs; from Alexandria and Cairo, exotic woods, metals, minerals, fabrics, and boullion; and from China, musk, rhubarb and silk in exchange for gromwells, pearls, horses from Arabia and Persia, non-worked silk, silk embroidery threads, fruits of the date palm, raisins, salt, sulphur and many other goods.<ref>[[Fernão Lopes de Castanheda]], História do Descobrimento e Conquista da Índia pelos Portugueses, 1979.</ref>

As Muslims and other peoples constantly attacked Portuguese [[Naval fleet|fleet]]s in India, and because it was so far away from mainland Portugal, it was extremely difficult for John III to secure Portuguese dominion in this area. A [[viceroy]] (or Governor-General with extensive powers) was nominated, but it was not enough to defend the Portuguese possessions in India. The Portuguese started by creating ''feitorias'' – commercial strongholds in [[Kochi, India|Cochin]], [[Kannur|Cannanore]], [[Quilon|Coulão]], [[Cranganore]] and Tanor – with the initial objective of establishing just a commercial dominion in the region.

The hostility of many Indian kingdoms and alliances between [[sultan]]s and [[zamorins]] with the intent of expelling the Portuguese made it necessary for the Europeans to establish a [[sovereignty|sovereign]] state. Portugal thus militarily occupied some key cities on the Indian coast and Goa became the headquarters of the Portuguese Empire in the East as of 1512. Goa became a starting point for the introduction of European cultural and religious values in India, and churches, schools and hospitals were built. Goa remained an overseas possession of Portugal until [[Annexation of Goa|India reclaimed it in 1961]].

The Portuguese arrived in Japan in 1543. Japan had been known in Portugal since the time of [[Marco Polo]], who called it "Cipango". Whether Portuguese nationals were the first Europeans to arrive in Japan is debated. Some say the first Portuguese arrival was the writer [[Fernão Mendes Pinto]], while others say it was the navigators António Peixoto, [[António Mota]], and [[Francisco Zeimoto]].

Portuguese traders started negotiating with Japan as early as of 1550 and established a base there in [[Nagasaki]]. By then, trade with Japan was a Portuguese monopoly under the rule of a [[Donatary captain|captain]]. Because the Portuguese established themselves in Macau, Chinese commercial relations and the silver trade with Japan were improved under John III's rule.

After the voyage of [[Ferdinand Magellan]], the [[Crown of Castile]] claimed the recently discovered [[Maluku Islands]]. In 1524, a conference of experts ([[cartographer]]s, [[cosmographer]]s, pilots, etc.) was held to solve the dispute caused by the difficulty of determining the [[meridian (geography)|meridian]] agreed to in the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]]. The Portuguese delegation sent by John III included names such as António de Azevedo Coutinho, [[Diogo Lopes de Sequeira]], [[Lopo Homem]] and Simão Fernandes. The dispute was settled in 1529 by the [[Treaty of Zaragoza]], signed by John III and Charles I of Spain. The Portuguese paid 350,000 gold ''[[Ducat|ducados]]'' to Spain and secured their presence in the islands, which was not actually necessary, since Portugal was actually entitled to the islands according to the Treaty of Tordesillas.

In 1553, Leonel de Sousa obtained authorization for the Portuguese to establish themselves in Canton and Macau. Macau was later offered to John III as a reward for Portuguese assistance against [[Piracy|maritime piracy]] in the period between 1557 and 1564.

===Portuguese America===
[[File:Capitanias.jpg|thumb|right|Captaincies of the Governorate General of Brazil]]
During the reign of King John III the Portuguese Empire established itself in South America with the foundation of the twelve [[Captaincy Colonies of Brazil]] (from 1534 onwards). Each with its own [[donatary]] captain, the twelve colonies worked independently. In 1549, John III established the [[Governorate General of Brazil]], and the twelve captaincy colonies became subordinate to it. The first Governor-General appointed by John III, [[Tomé de Sousa]], founded the city of [[Salvador, Bahia]] (São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos) in 1549.  For his role in the colonization of South America, John III has been referred to as The Colonizer ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: "o Colonizador").<ref>{{Cite book|last=Coutinho|first=Eduardo F.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=reJDDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT351|title=Brazilian Literature as World Literature|date=2018-02-22|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA|isbn=978-1-5013-2327-0|language=en}}</ref>

Immediately following the discovery of Brazil in 1500, the Portuguese imported [[brazilwood]], Indian slaves and exotic birds from there. Brazilian wood was a very appreciated product in Europe because it could be used to produce a type of red dye. During John III's rule, after the initial [[Portuguese colonization of the Americas|colonization]], Portuguese explorers intensified the search for brazilwood and began the cultivation of [[sugarcane]], which was well suited to the climate of Brazil and especially around [[Recife]] and [[Bahia]].

In the final years of John's reign Portugal's colony of Brazil was just beginning its rapid development as a producer of sugar that compensated for the gradual decline of revenues from Asia, a development that would continue during the reign of his grandson and successor, [[Sebastian of Portugal|Sebastian]] (1557–1578). Since Brazil lacked a large native population and the ones who lived there weren't adapted to the strenuous work required in the plantation fields, the Portuguese colonists began importing African slaves to strengthen the workforce present in the territory. The first slaves, from the region of [[Guinea]], arrived in Brazil in 1539. Most of them worked in the sugarcane fields or served as house servants.

==Death and dynastic issue==
From 1539, the heir to the throne was [[João Manuel, Prince of Portugal]], who married [[Joanna of Austria, Princess of Portugal]], a daughter of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]]. Prince John, the sole son of John III to survive childhood, was sickly and died of [[juvenile diabetes]] at the young age of 16, just eighteen days before his wife gave birth to [[Sebastian I of Portugal|Prince Sebastian]] on 20 January 1554.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|colspan=4|'''By [[Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal|Catherine of Austria]]''' (married 10 February 1525)
|-
|[[Afonso, Prince of Portugal (1526)|Prince Afonso]]||24 February 1526||12 April 1526||Prince of Portugal (1526), died in infancy.
|-
|[[Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal|Princess Maria Manuela]]||15 October 1527||12 July 1545||Princess of Portugal (1527–1531). Princess consort of Asturias by marriage to King [[Philip II of Spain]], then Prince of Asturias. She had one deformed child, [[Carlos, Prince of Asturias|Prince Carlos]], and she died a few days after his birth.
|-
|Infanta Isabel||28 April 1529||22 May 1530||Died in early childhood.
|-
|Infanta Beatriz (Beatrice)||15 February 1530||16 March 1530||Died in infancy.
|-
|[[Manuel, Prince of Portugal (1531–1537)|Prince Manuel]]||1 November 1531||14 April 1537||Prince of Portugal (1531–1537). Declared heir in 1531 but died in childhood.
|-
|[[Philip, Prince of Portugal|Prince Filipe]] (Philip)||25 March 1533||29 April 1539||Prince of Portugal (1537–1539). Declared heir in 1537 but died in childhood.
|-
|Infante Dinis (Denis)||26 April 1535||1 January 1537||Died in early childhood.
|-
|[[João Manuel, Prince of Portugal|Prince João Manuel]]||3 June 1537||2 January 1554||Prince of Portugal (1537–1554). Declared heir in 1539 but died in adolescence. Married [[Joan of Spain]]. Their son became King [[Sebastian of Portugal|Sebastian I]].
|-
|Infante António (Anthony)||9 March 1539||20 January 1540||Died in infancy.
|-
|colspan=4|'''By Isabel Moniz'''
|-
|Duarte, Archbishop of Braga||1529||11 November 1543||Natural son, died in adolescence.
|}

When John III died of [[apoplexy]] in 1557, his only heir was his three-year-old grandson, [[Sebastian of Portugal|Sebastian]]. John III's body rests in the [[Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon|Monastery of Jerónimos]] in Lisbon.

==Style==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Joao III of Portugal.jpg|thumb|150px|right|''El-rei D.'' João III''|{{Deletable image-caption|1=Thursday, 17 April 2008|date=March 2012}}]] -->
Like his predecessors John III used the style "''El-rei''" (the king) followed by "''Dom''" (abbreviated to [[Don (honorific)|D.]]), a mark of high esteem for a distinguished Christian [[nobleman]].

The official style was the same used by his father Manuel I: "Dom João, by the grace of God, King of Portugal, of the [[Kingdom of the Algarves|Algarve]]s, of either side of the sea in Africa, Lord of [[Guinea]], & of the [[Right of conquest|Conquest]], [[Navigation]], & Commerce of [[Ethiopia]], [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]], [[Safavid dynasty|Persia]], & [[Portuguese India|India]]" (''Dom João, por graça de Deus, Rei de Portugal, e dos Algarves, d'aquém e d'além mar em África, Senhor da Guiné, e da Conquista, Navegação, & Comércio da Etiópia, Arábia, Pérsia, & Índia''). This style would only change in the 19th century when Brazil became a Vice-Kingdom.

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''John III of Portugal'''
|2= 2. [[Manuel I of Portugal]]
|3= 3. [[Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal|Maria of Aragon]]
|4= 4. [[Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu]]<ref name="1911-Emanuel I">{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Emanuel I. |volume=9 |page=305}}</ref>
|5= 5. [[Beatriz, Duchess of Viseu|Beatrice of Portugal]]<ref name="1911-Emanuel I"/>
|6= 6. [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]]<ref name="Liss">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_krkCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT11 |title=Isabel the Queen: Life and Times |last=Liss |first=Peggy K. |date=2015-11-10 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=9780812293203 |pages=11 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|7= 7. [[Isabella I of Castile]]<ref name="Liss"/>
|8= 8. [[Edward, King of Portugal|Edward I of Portugal]]<ref name="Stephens1903">{{cite book|last=Stephens|first=Henry Morse|title=The Story of Portugal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jwMqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA139|access-date=17 September 2018|year=1903|publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons|page=139|isbn=9780722224731 }}</ref>
|9= 9. [[Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal|Eleanor of Aragon]]<ref name="Stephens1903"/>
|10= 10. [[John, Constable of Portugal]]<ref name="Liss"/>
|11= 11. [[Isabel of Barcelos]]<ref name="Liss"/>
|12= 12. [[John II of Aragon and Navarre|John II of Aragon]]<ref name="1911-Ferdinand">{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Ferdinand V. of Castile and Leon and II. of Aragon |volume=10 |page=266}}</ref>
|13= 13. [[Juana Enríquez]]<ref name="1911-Ferdinand"/>
|14= 14. [[John II of Castile]]<ref name="Britannica295037">{{Britannica|295037|Isabella I, Queen of Spain}}</ref>
|15= 15. [[Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Castile|Isabella of Portugal]]<ref name="Britannica295037"/>
}}

==In popular culture==
John III of Portugal figures in [[José Saramago]]'s 2008 novel ''[[The Elephant's Journey]]''.

John III features in [[Laurent Binet]]'s 2021 novel ''Civilizations''.

John III was mentioned in the historical Thai film ''[[The Legend of Suriyothai]]'' in 2001, but his role was cut when it was released.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2g.pantip.com/cafe/chalermthai/newmovie/suriyothai/sryt_p.html|work=[[Pantip.com]]|language=thai|title=Production Painting}}</ref>

John III (referred to as João III) leads the Portuguese civilization in the 2016 4X video game Civilization VI, being released in the Portugal Pack on 25 March 2021, as part of the "New Frontier Pass" DLC. His ability and civilization focuses on maritime trade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://civilization.com/news/entries/civilization-vi-first-look-joao-iii-of-portugal/|work=[[Civilization (series)|civilization.com]]|language=english|title=CIVILIZATION VI - FIRST LOOK: JOÃO III OF PORTUGAL}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Descendants of Manuel I of Portugal]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{commons category|John III of Portugal}}
* {{cite book |first=Paulo Drummond |last=Braga |title=D. João III |location=Lisbon |publisher=Hugin |year= 2002}}
* {{cite book |last=Disney |first=A.&nbsp;R. |year=2009 |title=A History of Portugal and the Portuguese Empire |volume=I|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-60397-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/ahistoryofportugalandtheportugueseempirevol1}}
* {{cite book |last=Domingues |first= Mário |year=1962 |title=D. João III O Homem e a Sua Época |location=Lisboa |publisher= Edição Romano Torres}}
* {{cite book |first= Alexandre |last= Herculano |title=História da Origem e Estabelecimento da Inquisição em Portugal|location=Lisbon |year= 1879–80}}
* {{cite book |title=Cambridge History of Latin America |year=1995 |editor-first= Leslie |editor-last= Bethell |publisher=Cambridge University Press |chapter=The Portuguese settlement of Brazil, 1500–1580 |first=Harold |last=Johnson|doi=10.1017/CHOL9780521395250 |isbn=978-1-139-05526-0 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-history-of-latin-america/66978F743A1F7145E4B4BE7A44627914}}
* {{cite book |last=Mattoso |first= José (dir.) |year=1993 |title= História de Portugal |volume=III|publisher=Círculo de Leitores}}
* {{cite book |last1=McMurdo |first1=Edward |title=The history of Portugal, from the Commencement of the Monarchy to the Reign of Alfonso III |date=1889 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington|location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/historyportugal05mcmugoog}}
* {{cite book |last1=Marques |first1=Antonio Henrique R. de Oliveira |title=History of Portugal |date=1976 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofportuga1976marq/page/n309/mode/2up? |publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=0-231-08353-X|location=New York}}
* {{cite book |last1=Pereira |first1=Esteves |last2=Rodrigues |first2=Guilherme |title=Portugal: diccionario historico, chorographico, heraldico, biographico, bibliographico, numismatico e artistico |date=1904 |publisher=J. Romano Torres |location=Lisboa|url=https://archive.org/details/portugaldicciona03pere|volume=III |language=Portuguese}}
* {{cite book |last=Sanceau |first= Elaine |date=1970 |title=Reign of the Fortunate King, 1495–1521: Manuel I of Portugal |location=Hamden, Conn. |publisher=Archon Books |isbn=0-2080096-8-X |url=https://archive.org/details/reignoffortunate0000sanc}}
* {{cite book |last=Serrão |first= Joel (dir.) |year=1971 |title=Dicionário da História de Portugal |volume=II |location=Lisboa |publisher= Iniciativas Editoriais}}
* {{cite book |last= Serrão |first= Joaquim Veríssimo |year=1978 |title= História de Portugal |volume=III |location= Lisboa |publisher= Verbo}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=John III. of Portugal|volume=15|page=444}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Aviz]]|6 June|1502|11 June|1557|[[Portuguese House of Burgundy|House of Burgundy]]}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Manuel I of Portugal|Manuel I]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of Portugal]]|years=1521–1557}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Sebastian of Portugal|Sebastian]]}}
{{s-roy|pt}}
|-
{{s-vac|last=[[Miguel da Paz, Prince of Portugal and Asturias|Miguel da Paz]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Prince of Portugal]]|years=1502–1521}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Afonso, Prince of Portugal (1526)|Afonso]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Monarchs of Portugal}}
{{Portuguese infantes}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:John 03 Of Portugal}}
[[Category:1502 births]]
[[Category:1557 deaths]]

[[Category:Princes of Portugal]]
[[Category:House of Aviz]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:Portuguese Inquisition]]
[[Category:16th-century Portuguese monarchs]]

[[Category:Nobility from Lisbon]]