Matias de Albuquerque
Encyclopedia
Matias de Albuquerque (Olinda
, Brazil
, 1580s – Lisbon
, 9 June, 1647), the first and only Count
of Alegrete, was a Portuguese colonial administrator and soldier. He was nicknamed "Hero of Two Continents" for his performance, beginning in 1624, against the Dutch invaders of colonial Brazil (Pernambuco
) and for his role, beginning in 1641, as a general in Portugal, fighting for João IV
during the Portuguese Restoration War
.
The youngest son of Jorge de Albuquerque Coelho, Matias was baptized as Paulo de Albuquerque, but he changed his name to Matias to honor his relative and godfather, Matias de Albuquerque, Viceroy of India.
, where he trained for a military career.
The following year, the huge size of Brazil led to the Portuguese colonies being divided into two estados (states); King Philip II
created the State of Brazil, the most important colony, with Salvador
(Bahia) as its capital, and, to its north, the State of Maranhão, with its capital at São Luís. Pernambuco was a captaincy within the State of Brazil.
occurred in 1624 and 1625, the Dutch immediately seized Salvador
(also known as Bahia), the capital of the State of Brazil, and, in the process, they captured the governor-general, Diogo de Mendonça Furtado. When news reached the colonial authorities elsewhere in the capitanias of Brazil that Mendonça had been deported to the Netherlands and imprisoned, they met at Vitória in the capitania of Espírito Santo
and appointed Albuquerque to temporarily fill the post of governor-general of Brazil.
Once Bahia had fallen, Portuguese resistance was first reorganized under the self-appointed leader of the provisional government, Bishop Marcos Teixeira, who recruited about two thousand men, and, later, under the captain of nearby Recôncavo, Francisco Rolim de Moura. Thanks to their initiative, the Dutch were subjected to continual harassments, and they were contained, for the most part, within the boundaries of the capital, Bahia.
When he first received word of his appointment, Albuquerque's first instinct was to marshall his forces and march to the relief of occupied Bahia, but he was cautioned to bide his time. From his base at Olinda, at the end of 1624, he sent troops to reinforce the Portuguese guerillas based at Arraial do Rio Vermelho and at Recôncavo. The following year, an experienced hand, Diogo Luis de Oliveira, was found to assume the role of permanent governor-general.
Bahia did not stay long in the possession of the Dutch Republic. (This was during the period, 1580 to 1640, when Spain and Portugal
were both ruled by a single Habsburg king.) The Spaniards were aware of the capture of Bahia a whole month earlier than the Dutch. A relief force was assembled and sent as quickly as possible. The West India Company was well aware of the Spanish relief force, but, due to bad weather, a Dutch fleet could not be sent to aid Bahia. It was also believed that the Dutch would be able to hold out until help could be sent. They were wrong. The armada, a Spanish-Portuguese fleet of 52 ships under the command of Don Fadrique de Toledo
, arrived on 30 March 1625 in the bay of Salvador (Bahia de Salvador). After a siege lasting a whole month, the Dutch were forced to surrender the city on 30 April 1625. The Spanish-Portuguese allowed the Dutch occupation force and their ships to leave Bahia.
Albuquerque was called to Madrid for consultations with the king's ministers. There, rumors of a major new Dutch invasion of Brazil were in the air. As a partial response, Albuquerque was appointed superintendent of fortifications and inspector-general of the northern captaincies in the State of Brazil. However, Spain was embroiled in the Thirty Years' War
, and, while the Dutch threat to Brazil was considered credible, resources were more likely to be devoted to military operations on the European continent and to shore up the defenses of the gold- and silver-producing colonies that fed the Caribbean treasure fleets. Albuquerque returned to South America in 1629 with the meager resources the King's treasury could spare for the defense of Brazil, — a bit of money, in silver coin, and twenty-seven Portuguese soldiers.
. Albuquerque and his smaller force was compelled to retreat, but, before doing so, they managed to burn the sugar warehouses at the port of Recife, preventing the Dutch West India Company
from using them and denying them the profit of their contents. He re-organized the Portuguese-Spanish defense on high ground at a place called Arraial Velho do Bom Jesus, about halfway between Olinda and Recife, and, in doing so, he established a fortified position that was quite easily defended, and its well-chosen location, for the most part, confined the Dutch within the towns. Albuquerque maintained this cordon until 1635, even though his position at Arraial came under repeated Dutch attacks.
, a mulatto born in Porto Calvo
, Alagoas
, then within the colony of Pernambuco. Before the ten-year truce between Portugal and the Netherlands expired in 1621, Dutch traders had regularly called at ports in Portuguese Brazil and through these contacts, Calabar had, at Recife, managed to talk his way into a job working for the Dutch West Indies Company in the Netherlands.
When relations between Portugal and the Dutch soured in 1624 because of the seizure of Bahia, Calabar found himself in a delicate position, torn between a loyalty to the place of his birth and a loyalty to the payer of his wages. By 1630, he was back in Recife, where his knowledge of the local geography made him a valuable man to know. The Dutch had become familiar with the rivers and streams, the swamps and islets, along the coasts, but their knowledge of the interior was almost nil. As a merchant and smuggler, Calabar knew every turn in every inland road. In fact, he had a remarkable sense of the local topography.
In April 1632, Calabar went to the Dutch authorities and expressed his willingness to help. He soon demonstrated that he was especially adept at planning and executing ambushes. The name of Calabar came to the attention of Albuquerque and the other Portuguese, and, because of his frequent successes, he developed a considerable reputation among them for his cleverness and his treachery.
After a time, the Dutch decided to evacuate Olinda, burn it, and concentrated on Recife.
Olinda
Olinda is a historic city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, just north of Recife and south of Paulista...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 1580s – Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 9 June, 1647), the first and only Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Alegrete, was a Portuguese colonial administrator and soldier. He was nicknamed "Hero of Two Continents" for his performance, beginning in 1624, against the Dutch invaders of colonial Brazil (Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
) and for his role, beginning in 1641, as a general in Portugal, fighting for João IV
John IV of Portugal
|-|John IV was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer...
during the Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War was the name given by nineteenth-century 'romantic' historians to the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon . The revolution of 1640 ended the sixty-year period of dual monarchy in Portugal...
.
The youngest son of Jorge de Albuquerque Coelho, Matias was baptized as Paulo de Albuquerque, but he changed his name to Matias to honor his relative and godfather, Matias de Albuquerque, Viceroy of India.
Career
The colony of Pernambuco in Brazil had been granted, in trust, to Matias's brother, Duarte de Albuquerque Coelho, under the system of hereditary captaincies (capitanias) established by the Portuguese crown as a device for administering their overseas possessions. Olinda, a town in Pernambuco colony, was Matias’s birthplace, but, as a young man, he left Olinda for Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, where he trained for a military career.
Lieutenant-governor of Pernambuco
He served three years in North Africa, and, in 1620, his brother, Duarte, asked him to serve as his agent in governing Pernambuco. There, he restored the personal authority of his family after almost fifty years of involvement in colonial administration only as absentees. He assumed the position of lieutenant-governor on 20 May 1620, and he went straight to work preparing the defenses of Pernambuco. (He remained in the post until November 1627.)The following year, the huge size of Brazil led to the Portuguese colonies being divided into two estados (states); King Philip II
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
created the State of Brazil, the most important colony, with Salvador
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
(Bahia) as its capital, and, to its north, the State of Maranhão, with its capital at São Luís. Pernambuco was a captaincy within the State of Brazil.
Fighting the Dutch
When the first invasions of the colony of BrazilColonial Brazil
In the history of Brazil, Colonial Brazil, officially the Viceroyalty of Brazil comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to kingdom alongside Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.During the over 300 years...
occurred in 1624 and 1625, the Dutch immediately seized Salvador
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
(also known as Bahia), the capital of the State of Brazil, and, in the process, they captured the governor-general, Diogo de Mendonça Furtado. When news reached the colonial authorities elsewhere in the capitanias of Brazil that Mendonça had been deported to the Netherlands and imprisoned, they met at Vitória in the capitania of Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo is one of the states of southeastern Brazil, often referred to by the abbreviation "ES". Its capital is Vitória and the largest city is Vila Velha. The name of the state means literally "holy spirit" after the Holy Ghost of Christianity...
and appointed Albuquerque to temporarily fill the post of governor-general of Brazil.
Once Bahia had fallen, Portuguese resistance was first reorganized under the self-appointed leader of the provisional government, Bishop Marcos Teixeira, who recruited about two thousand men, and, later, under the captain of nearby Recôncavo, Francisco Rolim de Moura. Thanks to their initiative, the Dutch were subjected to continual harassments, and they were contained, for the most part, within the boundaries of the capital, Bahia.
When he first received word of his appointment, Albuquerque's first instinct was to marshall his forces and march to the relief of occupied Bahia, but he was cautioned to bide his time. From his base at Olinda, at the end of 1624, he sent troops to reinforce the Portuguese guerillas based at Arraial do Rio Vermelho and at Recôncavo. The following year, an experienced hand, Diogo Luis de Oliveira, was found to assume the role of permanent governor-general.
Bahia did not stay long in the possession of the Dutch Republic. (This was during the period, 1580 to 1640, when Spain and Portugal
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
were both ruled by a single Habsburg king.) The Spaniards were aware of the capture of Bahia a whole month earlier than the Dutch. A relief force was assembled and sent as quickly as possible. The West India Company was well aware of the Spanish relief force, but, due to bad weather, a Dutch fleet could not be sent to aid Bahia. It was also believed that the Dutch would be able to hold out until help could be sent. They were wrong. The armada, a Spanish-Portuguese fleet of 52 ships under the command of Don Fadrique de Toledo
Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza
′Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Mendoza , was a Spanish noble and admiral.He was a Knight of the Order of Santiago, a Spanish Admiral, and Captain General of the Spanish Navy at the age of 37....
, arrived on 30 March 1625 in the bay of Salvador (Bahia de Salvador). After a siege lasting a whole month, the Dutch were forced to surrender the city on 30 April 1625. The Spanish-Portuguese allowed the Dutch occupation force and their ships to leave Bahia.
Albuquerque was called to Madrid for consultations with the king's ministers. There, rumors of a major new Dutch invasion of Brazil were in the air. As a partial response, Albuquerque was appointed superintendent of fortifications and inspector-general of the northern captaincies in the State of Brazil. However, Spain was embroiled in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, and, while the Dutch threat to Brazil was considered credible, resources were more likely to be devoted to military operations on the European continent and to shore up the defenses of the gold- and silver-producing colonies that fed the Caribbean treasure fleets. Albuquerque returned to South America in 1629 with the meager resources the King's treasury could spare for the defense of Brazil, — a bit of money, in silver coin, and twenty-seven Portuguese soldiers.
The second Dutch invasion
In February of 1630, the long-anticipated Dutch invasion finally arrived, and it immediately overwhelmed Olinda and its port, RecifeRecife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
. Albuquerque and his smaller force was compelled to retreat, but, before doing so, they managed to burn the sugar warehouses at the port of Recife, preventing the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
from using them and denying them the profit of their contents. He re-organized the Portuguese-Spanish defense on high ground at a place called Arraial Velho do Bom Jesus, about halfway between Olinda and Recife, and, in doing so, he established a fortified position that was quite easily defended, and its well-chosen location, for the most part, confined the Dutch within the towns. Albuquerque maintained this cordon until 1635, even though his position at Arraial came under repeated Dutch attacks.
Calabar
Some of these attacks on Arraial were masterminded by a man named Domingos Fernandes CalabarDomingos Fernandes Calabar
Domingos Fernandes Calabar was a plantation owner in the Captaincy of Pernambuco, an ally of Dutch Republic who invaded the Northeast of Brazil....
, a mulatto born in Porto Calvo
Porto Calvo
Porto Calvo is a city and municipality in Alagoas, Brazil. Its population was 24,761 and its area is 260 km². It was founded in 1636....
, Alagoas
Alagoas
Alagoas is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco ; Sergipe ; Bahia ; and the Atlantic Ocean . It occupies an area of 27,767 km², being slightly larger than Haiti...
, then within the colony of Pernambuco. Before the ten-year truce between Portugal and the Netherlands expired in 1621, Dutch traders had regularly called at ports in Portuguese Brazil and through these contacts, Calabar had, at Recife, managed to talk his way into a job working for the Dutch West Indies Company in the Netherlands.
When relations between Portugal and the Dutch soured in 1624 because of the seizure of Bahia, Calabar found himself in a delicate position, torn between a loyalty to the place of his birth and a loyalty to the payer of his wages. By 1630, he was back in Recife, where his knowledge of the local geography made him a valuable man to know. The Dutch had become familiar with the rivers and streams, the swamps and islets, along the coasts, but their knowledge of the interior was almost nil. As a merchant and smuggler, Calabar knew every turn in every inland road. In fact, he had a remarkable sense of the local topography.
In April 1632, Calabar went to the Dutch authorities and expressed his willingness to help. He soon demonstrated that he was especially adept at planning and executing ambushes. The name of Calabar came to the attention of Albuquerque and the other Portuguese, and, because of his frequent successes, he developed a considerable reputation among them for his cleverness and his treachery.
After a time, the Dutch decided to evacuate Olinda, burn it, and concentrated on Recife.