The Discoveries before Columbus

Abstract

The construction of the Kingdom of Portugal had been a true crusade for the Alphonsine dynasty. The Avis dynasty that followed continued this Crusade beyond the Iberian Peninsula, in the reconquest of North Africa, which had been Christian before it was overrun by the Islamic invaders. With the conquest of the Algarve, King Alphonse III practically defined the frontiers of Portugal, making it, as a nation, the oldest country in Europe. After 535 years of Muslim civilisation in Portugal, indelible marks were left everywhere south of the River Mondego, especially south of the River Tagus. The conversion of the defeated populations was a slow process, in which missionary activity proved to be more effective than military might, but the Christian Mozarabs, who thanks to the tolerance of the Muslims had conserved their faith,¹ practised a sui generis religion, impregnated with pagan and Oriental superstitions. The defeated Muslims occupied about a half of the country and they willingly accepted the religion of the victors, as the latter, not wishing to see their country depopulated, granted them many benefits. Portugal had no more than 1 000 000 inhabitants in the twelfth century,² so the Portuguese never thought of exterminating or exiling the vanquished populations, as deserted land has nobody to cultivate it or to defend it.