Jean II of Portugal

See also: Jean II

Jean II of Portugal , in Portuguese João II (called the Prince Parfait , Lisbon, March 3rd 1455 - Alvor, October 25th 1495) was the 13th king de Portugal. He was the son of the king Alphonse V of Portugal and Isabelle of Portugal, queen of Portugal. Jean II succeeded his father after his abdication. However, in 1477, Alphonse V took again the capacity and Jean became again king only in 1481.

In 1471, it married Éléonore de Viseu.

From this union will be born:

  • Alphonse of Portugal (1475 - 1491), in 1490 it married Isabelle d' Aragon

It will also have a child except marriage:

This king lived at the time of the resurrection of the Roman law and especially of the Code of Justinien written whereas tyranny reigned with Rome. All the kings were thorough towards a reinforcement of their authority and Jean II was thus a sovereign of his time.

As prince, Jean II accompanied his father at the time of the campaigns in Africa and was made knight by Alphonse V after the catch of Asilah (Morocco) in 1471. In 1473, it Maria with Léonor de Viseu, princess of Portugal, her cousin directe.

Already in his youth, Jean was not very popular among the nobility because it did not appear to be influenced by outside and hated the intrigues. The noble powerful ones, especially Fernand II, duke of Bragance (a very rich landowner), were afraid of its come to power and as soon as it had seized the power it was seen that they were right. After his access to the throne, Jean II took series of measure with an aim of withdrawing capacity with the aristocracy and of concentrating it in its hands. In particular, it imposed approval by the thus finishing sovereign of the seigneuriaux rights, by a practice of the 15th century, a fight against the traditions wisigothes maintained during the Reconquista and the reigns alphonsins. The purpose of these measurements were also to prevent the extortions exerted by the aristocracy on the small people. Quickly, the conspiracies started which ended in the total victory of the king and the death or the exile of its opponents. The tradition says that Jean II commented on the " thus; nettoyage" country: " I am the lord of the lords and not the serf of the serfs". After these events, nobody any more, in Portugal, dared to defy the king who did not hesitate to regulate the problems of his own hands. Jean II was thus free to control the country without more any opposition.
Jean II was a large defender of the policy of exploration of the Atlantic Ocean started with his great-uncle Infant Don Henri. The Portuguese discoveries were the priority of its government as well as research the sea route of India. Let us quote some events of its reign:

Part of the Portuguese discoveries of the reign of Jean II remain unknown. Many information were kept secret for political reasons and the files of this period were destroyed during the Earthquake of 1755. The historians still discuss on the real width these discoveries suspectant that the Portuguese navigators arrived in America before Christophe Colomb. In support of this assumption, one often quotes them precise calculations of the diameter of the ground made by the Portuguese. There had been, in Portugal, at the end of the 15th century, for more than 80 years, a school of navigation, cartography and mathematics where the most skilful scientists of the time worked. Whereas Christophe Colomb thought of being able to arrive at the Indies by the road of the west, Jean II knew probably already the existence of a continent between the Europe and the Asia beyond the Atlantique. The voyages of the mysterious captain Duarte Pacheco Pereira in the west of the Cap Verde were probably more important than suppose it traditional interpretations. The discovery of America by Christophe Colomb is at the origin of the arguments on the control of the seas between Portugal and Castille. It was this competition which caused the signature of the Traité of Tordesillas the July 7th 1494. This treaty defines the meridian line of Tordesillas and stipulated that the grounds in the east of this line would be with Portugal and the others in Castille.
But the division of the world was not the only subject of discussion between the Iberian kingdoms. The Kings Catholiques had several girls, but only one son, Jean, of fragile health. The oldest daughter, Isabelle, were married with prince Alphonse of Portugal as of her childhood. Alphonse was the only son of Jean II and, if this one died without heirs, Jean de Castille would most probably be, not only to inherit it Portugal but also that of Castille and Aragon.
This threat on the Spanish crown was quite real. The Ferdinand d' Aragon and Isabelle de Castille tried, in vain, all the diplomatic channels to cancel the marriage. Finally, in 1491, prince Alphonse died following a fall of horse during a race at the edge of the Tage. The connection of the catholic kings with the accident proven forever but it is them which gained there more. During the remainder of his days, Jean II tried, without success, to obtain the legitimation of his bastard son Georges.
Jean II died without heir legitimates in 1495. Jean II died of hydropisy but seen the hatred which the Portuguese nobility carried to him, the assumption of a poisoning forever be isolated. Before dying, Jean had chosen Manuel of Viseu, duke of Beja, his first cousin, adoptive brother-in-law and wire, like successeur.

The nickname " prince Parfait" is a reference to the " Prince" of Nicolas Machiavel. For its contemporaries, it was the " tyran".

Internal bonds

  • Ferdinand of Portugal

See too

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