Francisco de Mascarenhas was the 1st count of Vila da Horta, the 1st count of Santa Cruz and the 13th viceroy of Portuguese controlled India from 1581 until 1584, captain of donatary of the islands of Flores and Corvo.

Titles

The Count of Vila da Horta was a title created by

Philip I of Portugal Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

in 1580 in favour of Francisco. The first count was lost the captaincy of the island of Faial and demanded with the Royal Family, Philip I substituted the title with the count of Santa Cruz conceded the title as a captaincy of donatary in the islands of Corvo and Flores. Count of Santa Cruz (in Portuguese Conde de Santa Cruz) was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree of King Philip I of Portugal, dated from October 3, 1593, and granted to Francisco de Mascarenhas (1530-1608), nephew of Dom Pedro de Mascarenhas, 6th Viceroy of Portuguese India. Through a remarkable marriage policy, this family inherited several other titles and estates, such as Marquis of Gouveia in 1686, and Duke of Aveiro in 1745.

Early career in India

D. Francisco started his career in Portuguese India in 1555, with his uncle the vice-roy

Pedro Mascarenhas Dom Pedro Mascarenhas (1480 – 16 June 1555) was a Portuguese explorer and colonial administrator. He was the first European to discover the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in 1512. He also encountered the Indian Ocean island of Mau ...

(1554-1555). He was the general that vice-roy D. Luís de Atáide (1568-1571) appointed to face the forces of the Ahmadnagar Sultan at Portuguese

Chaul Chaul is a historic town located in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The Korlai Fort is located nearby. History The town was famous for cotton manufactured goods in the 15th and 16th century, According to Varthema, Chaul was p ...

in 1570-71. He became famous for this military success to an extent that Philip II of Spain decided to appoint him as vice-roy of India, in 1581, to succeed earl D. Luís de Ataíde in his second government of Asia (1578-1581). He was mainly tasked with ensuring that Philip II would be accepted as King of Portugal in Portuguese Asia.

Later career

After a successful government in India, between 1581 and 1584, D. Francisco returned to his estates in Portugal. In 1593, when cardinal

Albert VII, Archduke of Austria Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert C ...

left the viceroyalty of Portugal, Philip II of Spain, appointed D. Francisco was one of the five governors of Portugal. He ruled Portugal until the next vice-roy of Portugal was named by

Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...

Bibliography

A Casa de Atouguia, os Últimos Avis e o Império: Dinâmicas entrecruzadas na carreira de D. Luís de Ataíde (1516-1581

References

Donatary-Captains of the Azores, Mascarenhas Viceroys of Portuguese India Colonial people in Mozambique Portuguese colonial governors and administrators 16th-century Portuguese people Portuguese nobility 1530 births 1608 deaths {{Portugal-bio-stub