Portugal continued to be governed by the kings of the House of Burgundy from 1139 till 1557. In 1147 Alfonso took Lisbon from the Moors, with the assiatanco of a fleet of crusaders under the command of William Longsword. The remainder of his reign was spent either in war with the Moors, or in defending his dominions against the kings of Castilla and Leon, who disputed his right to the title of king. He died at the close of the year 1185, and was succeeded by Sancho I., his eldest surviving son, whose reign was by no means so glorious. Though he took the town of Silves in Algarve, he loet Coimbra and other important fortresses, some of which he did not recover fur a long time. Sancho died in 1211. His successor, Alfonso II., prosecuted the war against the Mohammedans with con siderable success. Ills son Sancho IL, who succeeded him in 1223, was animated by the same military ardour, and he took several places in Alemtejo and Algarve; but in consequence of disputes with his clergy, he was dethroned by a papal decree, after which he retired to Toledo, where be died early in 1243. Alfouao III., his brother, who succeeded him, completed the conquest of Algarve, which his pre deceator had begun, and was thence called the Restorer. Alfonso died lu 1279, and was succeeded by his son Dints, who, like his father and most of his predecessors, was long at war with the church. Dints was the first who turned to account the favourable position of the country for commerce, and who, by awaking the enterprise of his subjects, laid the foundation of the greatness of Portugal iu the succeeding century. lie was a generous patron of science, and in 1284 laid the foundation of a university in Lisbon, which he afterwards (1308) transferred to Coimbra.
Dinh% was succeeded in 1325 by his son Alfonso IV., surnamed the Brave, whose reign was almost entirely spent in war with Alfonso of Castilla. Peace being at last concluded between them by the inter ference of the Pope, he joined his arms to those of his rival, end aaaistail him in humbling the power of the Mohammedans.. Ills son Pedro L, who succeeded him in 1357, is chiefly known by his secret marriage with the celebrated Ines de Castro, and the tisane of crimes caused by that union. He was succeeded in 1367 by his son Fer nando I., who, on the death of Pedro the Cruel of Castilla without male heirs, assumed the regal title and arms of that kingdom, as the grandson of the Princess Bavaria, daughter of Sancho the Breve of Castilla. His entire reign was spent in war with the bastard Enrique, who had usurped the throne of Castilla; but though he wasted his resources, he gained no advantages. With the death of this monarch, in 1393, the male line of the Burgundian princes became extinct in Portugal. His daughter Beatrix, who had married Juan I. of Castilla, was the true heir to the throne, but the Portuguese were so averse to a connscti sn with Castilla, that on the marriage of the princess with the Castilian king, it had been expressly stipulated that in case of Fernando'a death the government should be vested in a regency until Bead' had a son capable of assuming the sovereignty. Accordingly
Dom Joam, grand-master of the order of Avis, an illegitimate eon of King Pedro L, was appointed regent, and two years afterwards was proclaimed king by the states assembled at Coimbra in 1335, to the prejudice of Enrique, eon of Beatrix, the lawful heir to the Portuguese throne. Joam I. maintained the possession of his usurped throne with great ability and courage. With this king begins the native line of Portuguese kings, as well as the foreign conquests and voyages of discovery which established the greatness of Portugal. Henry, sur named the Navigator, one of the king's sons, first set on foot those enterprises of discovery and commerce which raised Portugal so much above contemporary states. The reign of Joam I. is justly considered one of the most glorious which Portugal ever had. He improved the administration of the kingdom, and introduced many salutary reforms into the courts of justice. He transferred the royal residence from Coimbra to Lisbon. At his death in ]433, Joam I. was succeeded by Duarte, who died of the plague at Tomer, and was succeeded by his eldest sou Alfonso V.; but as be was only six years of age on his father's death, the regency devolved, according to his will, upou the queen-mother, a very able princess. Under the reign of this king the career of African conquest was ardently prosecuted. Alfonso died of the plague in 1481. He was a great patron of literature, and the first Portuguese king who collected a library. His reign was likewise sig nalised by the progress of maritime discovery; and the Azores, with the Madeiras, the Canaries, Cape Verd, and other islands west of the African continent, were either discovered or colonised through the persevering efforts of the Iufante Dom Enrique. Joam II., who suc ceeded Alfonso V., was justly considered one of the ablest monarch; that ever sat on the throne of Portugal. In this reign the spirit of maritime discovery was carried to the highest pitch. In ]487 Bar tholomeo Diaz discovered and doubled the southern cape of Africa, which, from the good expectations which it encouraged, was called 0 Cabo de Bon Esperanza (Cape of Good Hope). Joam II. died uui versally regretted in 1495. He was succeeded by his cousin Manoel, who steadily pursued the career of maritime discovery. About the close of 1497 the passage to India by sea was effected by a squadron of five vessels, under the orders of Vasco de Gama, who returned to Lisbon in September 1499, after an absence of little more than two years. In this reign Brazil was discovered, and establishments were formed in that country and also on the west coast of Hindustan. During the reign of this king Lisbon became the most important corn mereial city of Europe ; and Portugal, the most ioaignificaut of tho European states in extent of territory and population, grew into a powerful monarchy.