King Manuel I Tells How He Went from a Nobleman, to Becoming King and Spur Portugal into India

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I was born in 1469 in a small riverside town called Alcochete, far from the seat of royal power. In my youth, I was a nobleman of some standing but never expected to wear the crown. My cousin, King John II, was a powerful ruler who had few close allies in the nobility, and I was content to live quietly in his shadow. But fate has its own designs. When King John died without a direct heir in 1495, I was chosen to take his place, becoming King Manuel I of Portugal. I stepped into power at a time when our small kingdom was beginning to reach far beyond its shores.

From the start, I knew the ocean would define my reign. Portugal had already sent its ships along the coast of Africa, seeking gold, spices, and a sea route to India. Vasco da Gama’s successful voyage around the Cape of Good Hope had proven such a route existed, and I saw in this a future where Portugal could command trade with lands that seemed almost mythical to most Europeans. I commissioned more voyages, not only to India but also to unknown parts of the world. It was under my rule that Pedro Álvares Cabral set out for India, only to sail so far west that he reached the land we now call Brazil. That moment secured for Portugal a vast claim in the Americas, thanks to the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the newly discovered lands of the world between us and Spain.

I was deeply committed to spreading Christianity alongside these voyages. Every fleet I sent carried priests as well as merchants. The priests were to teach the faith, build churches, and bring the message of Christ to people who had never heard it. I believed that our ships should carry both the cross and the flag, for faith would bind new lands to Portugal just as trade would enrich us all. Some said this was just a way to strengthen our political and economic control, but I saw no conflict between faith and fortune—they worked together to keep our kingdom strong.

During my reign, Portugal’s empire spread across oceans. We built trading posts and fortresses from Africa to India, from Malacca to Brazil. The wealth from spices, gold, and other goods poured into Lisbon, transforming it into one of the richest and busiest cities in Europe. But this expansion also brought rivalries, conflicts, and the need to defend what we had claimed. I had to balance diplomacy with strength, knowing that a single mistake could bring the ambitions of greater powers crashing down upon us.

Looking back, I see my reign as the moment Portugal became a truly global power. Our ships tied together continents, our merchants traded goods that changed the lives of people far from our shores, and our priests carried our faith to new worlds. I was called “The Fortunate,” but I know fortune alone does not build an empire—it takes vision, courage, and the will to keep sailing into the unknown, no matter the risks.

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