João Ramalho () (1493–1582) was a Portuguese explorer and adventurer known as the first

bandeirante The ''Bandeirantes'' (), literally "flag-carriers", were slavers, explorers, adventurers, and fortune hunters in early Colonial Brazil. They are largely responsible for Brazil's great expansion westward, far beyond the Tordesillas Line of 1494 ...

. He lived much of his life among

Tupiniquim Tupiniquim (also Tupinã-ki, Topinaquis, Tupinaquis, Tupinanquins, Tupiniquins) are an indigenous peoples of Brazil, indigenous people of Brazil, who now live in three Indigenous territory (Brazil), indigenous territories (''Terras Indígenas'' ...

natives in Brazil after he arrived there in 1515. He even became the leader of an Indian village after he developed a friendship with

Tibiriçá Chief Tibiriçá (died 1562) baptized as Martim Afonso was an Amerindian leader who converted to Christianity under the auspices of José de Anchieta. He led the Tupiniquim people of Piratininga and other tribes. His daughter, Bartira, took the n ...

, an important native chief at the time. Ramalho played an important role in the pacific interaction between the Portuguese and the natives, especially after the arrival of

Martim Afonso de Sousa Martim Afonso de Sousa ( – 21 July 1564) was a Portugal, Portuguese ''fidalgo'', List of explorers, explorer and colonial administrator. Life Born in Vila Viçosa, he was commander of the first official Portuguese expedition into mainland of th ...

, with whom he became friends after meeting him in São Vicente, the first Portuguese settlement in the Americas. Some historians agree that his ancestors were Jews from

Covilhã Covilhã () is a city and a municipality in the Centro region, Portugal. The city proper had 34,772 inhabitants in 2001. The municipality population in 2011 was 51,797, in an area of . It is located in the Beiras e Serra da Estrela subregion and B ...

.Covilhã (Rede de Judiarias de Portugal) https://www.redejudiariasportugal.com/index.php/pt/cidades/covilha He lived in the village of Santo André da Borda do Campo, which in 1553 was made a town by

Tomé de Sousa Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579) was the first governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1549 until 1553. He was a nobleman and soldier born in Rates, Póvoa de Varzim. Sousa was born a noble and participated in military expeditions in ...

, then Governor General of Brazil. Ramalho exercised the posts of

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

and

alcalde Alcalde (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian '' cabildo'' (the municipal council) a ...

(mayor) in the town. Ramalho is said to have originated the first

mameluco ''Mameluco'' is a Portuguese word that denotes the first generation child of a European and an Amerindian. It corresponds to the Spanish word ''mestizo''. In the 17th and 18th centuries, ''mameluco'' was also used to refer to organized bands of ...

s (people of mixed Portuguese and native ancestry), an ethnicity that played an important role in the 17th-century ''bandeiras'' (westward inland expeditions carried out by explorers known as ''

bandeirantes The ''Bandeirantes'' (), literally "flag-carriers", were slavers, explorers, adventurers, and fortune hunters in early Colonial Brazil. They are largely responsible for Brazil's great expansion westward, far beyond the Tordesillas Line of 1494 ...

''). For that reason, he is often called the "Patriarch of the Bandeirantes". In historical records, Ramalho is described as an athletic man with a long beard and a brown skin originating from sunburn. According to some sources, his original name was João Maldonado. In 1580, Ramalho felt ill and, on 3 May of that year, wrote his will. He died in 1582 in an unknown location in the jungle.

Legacy

The municipality of

João Ramalho João Ramalho () (1493–1582) was a Portuguese explorer and adventurer known as the first bandeirante. He lived much of his life among Tupiniquim natives in Brazil after he arrived there in 1515. He even became the leader of an Indian village ...

, in São Paulo, is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramalho, Joao 1493 births 1582 deaths Brazilian explorers Portuguese explorers History of São Paulo (state) Brazilian people of Portuguese descent Portuguese Jews Brazilian Jews 16th-century Brazilian people