Portuguese expansion into North Africa

E364517

Portuguese expansion into North Africa was a series of early 15th- and 16th-century military and maritime campaigns through which Portugal seized key coastal cities and fortresses across the Maghreb, laying foundations for its wider overseas empire.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (76)

Predicate Object
instanceOf maritime expansion ⓘ
military campaign ⓘ
phase of the Portuguese Empire ⓘ
chronologyNote began with Ceuta in 1415 ⓘ
effectively ended after the 1578 Battle of Alcácer Quibir ⓘ
reached its apogee in the late 15th and early 16th centuries ⓘ
country Kingdom of Portugal ⓘ
firstMajorEvent Conquest of Ceuta ⓘ
hasCause desire to control trans-Saharan trade routes ⓘ
dynastic prestige of the Avis dynasty ⓘ
religious motivation for crusade against Islam ⓘ
search for gold and other resources ⓘ
strategic control of Strait of Gibraltar ⓘ
hasCharacteristic combined naval power with siege warfare ⓘ
economically burdensome to Portugal ⓘ
focused on coastal strongholds rather than inland conquest ⓘ
involved construction of fortresses and trading posts ⓘ
motivated by crusading ideology ⓘ
preceded large-scale Atlantic and Indian Ocean expansion ⓘ
provoked resistance from local dynasties ⓘ
hasEffect Portuguese control of key Atlantic and Mediterranean ports ⓘ
economic strain on the Portuguese Crown ⓘ
eventual loss of most North African strongholds ⓘ
foundation of the Portuguese Empire ⓘ
intensification of Christian–Muslim conflict in the western Mediterranean ⓘ
long-term Portuguese military presence in Morocco ⓘ
stimulus to Portuguese Atlantic exploration ⓘ
hasEndTime 16th century ⓘ
hasKeyEvent Battle of Alcácer Quibir ⓘ
Capture of Alcácer Ceguer ⓘ
Capture of Arzila ⓘ
Capture of Tangier (1471) ⓘ
Conquest of Ceuta ⓘ
Evacuation of Safi and Azemmour ⓘ
Loss of Agadir ⓘ
Loss of Ceuta to Spain (as part of Iberian Union context) ⓘ
Occupation of Agadir (Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué) ⓘ
Occupation of Azemmour ⓘ
Occupation of Mazagan (El Jadida) ⓘ
Occupation of Safi ⓘ
Siege of Mazagan (various) ⓘ
hasKeyFigure Abu Sa'id Uthman III of Morocco (opponent at Ceuta) ⓘ
Infante Duarte of Portugal ⓘ
Infante Henrique (Henry the Navigator) ⓘ
linked to: Henry the Navigator

Infante Pedro of Portugal ⓘ
King Afonso V of Portugal ⓘ
King João I of Portugal ⓘ
linked to: John I of Portugal

King Manuel I of Portugal ⓘ
King Sebastião I of Portugal ⓘ
Prince Henry the Navigator ⓘ
linked to: Henry the Navigator

Sultan Abd al-Malik of Morocco (opponent at Alcácer Quibir) ⓘ
Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of Morocco ⓘ
linked to: Ahmad al-Mansur
hasKeyPlace Agadir ⓘ
Alcácer Ceguer ⓘ
Arzila ⓘ
Atlantic coast of Morocco ⓘ
Azemmour ⓘ
Ceuta ⓘ
Ksar el-Kebir (Alcácer Quibir) ⓘ
linked to: Ksar el-Kebir

Mazagan ⓘ
linked to: El Aaiún

Mediterranean coast of Morocco ⓘ
linked to: Maghreb coast

Safi ⓘ
Strait of Gibraltar ⓘ
Tangier ⓘ
hasOutcome Portuguese defeat and dynastic crisis after Battle of Alcácer Quibir ⓘ
contributed to the 1580 Iberian Union ⓘ
limited long-term territorial control ⓘ
significant cultural and military interaction between Portugal and Morocco ⓘ
hasStartTime early 15th century ⓘ
location Maghreb ⓘ
linked to: Maghreb coast

North Africa ⓘ
mainlyInvolved Moroccan polities ⓘ
Nasrid Granada (indirectly) ⓘ
Portuguese Crown ⓘ
partOf Age of Discovery ⓘ
linked to: Age of Exploration

Portuguese overseas expansion ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Conquest of Ceuta → partOf → Portuguese expansion into North Africa ⓘ
Portuguese capture of Tangier → partOf → Portuguese expansion in North Africa ⓘ
linked to: Portuguese expansion into North Africa
Crónica de D. Pedro de Meneses → relatedTo → Portuguese conquest of North Africa ⓘ
linked to: Portuguese expansion into North Africa