THE SITUATION IN PORTUGAL 73 



to dismember the great empire, came under the rule of the 

 kings of GaHcia (which is now northwestern Spain) — another 

 instance of where the name Gael is still imbedded in a purely 

 national name. It was also conquered by the Moors, and re- 

 mained under Mohammedan rule for two hundred years. Ber- 

 mudez. King of Galicia, reconquered it in 997, and St. Ferdi- 

 nand, King of Castile and Leon, nearly completed the con- 

 quest and expelled the Moors from all the northern part of 

 the country. In 1109, the country freed itself from the rule 

 of the Galicians, and later threw off all allegiance to Castile. 

 This was the beginning of Portuguese independence as a sepa- 

 rate kingdom. The creators of the kingdom's greatness were 

 King Denis (1279-1325) and his successor, Alfonso IV (1325- 



1357)- 

 In 1383, the dynasty died out, and John I was elected king 



(1383-1433). He married Philippa, daughter of John of 

 Gaunt, in England, and thus commenced the close relations of 

 Portugal with England. He was the first foreign monarch to 

 receive the Order of the Garter, and with him the heroic age 

 of Portuguese history began. He forever put an end to Span- 

 ish sovereignty, expelled the last of the Moors, and sent out 

 navigator after navigator to explore the world. Madeira was 

 occupied in 1420, and Guiana the following year. Bartholo- 

 mew Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope in i486, and in 

 1498 Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India. Bra- 

 zil was discovered and settled in 1500 by Pedro Alvares Ca- 

 bral. Magellan (in Portuguese, Magalhaes) went to Brazil 

 in 1 5 19, rounded Cape Horn in 1520, discovered the Philip- 

 pine Islands in 1 52 1, doubled the Cape of Good Hope in 1522, 

 and before the end of that year was back again in Portugal, 

 having successfully completed the first voyage around the 

 world. Not only was Brazil colonized, but conquests and colo- 

 nies followed in India, China, Africa and Mozambique. 



In 1580, however, this kingly line in turn became extinct 

 and Portugal was annexed to Spain. For sixty years the Por- 

 tuguese endured the harsh rule of Philip II and his successors, 

 but in 1640 they revolted. The nobles and clergy succeeded in 

 freeing the country from Spanish rule and in placing the Por- 

 tuguese Duke of Braganza on the throne under the name of 

 John IV. But, during the Spanish rule and the succeeding 

 wars, Portugal had declined in power and wealth. Her mari- 



