THE Avis Revolution, also known as the 1383 Crisis, refers to the succession of events and conflicts that took place in Portugal and that resulted in the end of the Afonsina Dynasty and the beginning of the Avis Dynasty. This revolution resulted in the coronation of John, Master of Avis, as D. João I and King of Portugal in the year 1385.
historical background
The emergence of Portugal as a nation was directly related to the Reconquest Wars, in which the Christians of the Iberian Peninsula began a struggle to expel the Moors, who invaded and settled on the peninsula in the 8th century. As the Moors were driven out, new kingdoms sprang up on the peninsula.
Portugal actually emerged when D. Afonso Henriques, son of Henry of Burgundy, declared the independence of the Portucale County and the end of the vassal relationship with the Kingdom of Leon. In addition to having proclaimed independence from Portugal in 1139, D. Afonso Henriques also declared himself king of Portugal and started the afonsine dynasty.
Despite being independent, Portugal had not yet completed its territorial formation – a process that extended to the 13th century, when the Moors were expelled from the Algarve, a region in the south of Portugal that had not yet been regained. Although its territorial formation was completed, Portugal has always been in the shadow of the Kingdom of Castile, a neighboring kingdom that nurtured ambitions to conquer Portuguese territory.
A crisis in the Alfonsina Dynasty at the end of the 14th century put Portuguese independence in check. During this period, the Kingdom of Castile tried to conquer the throne of Portugal.
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dynastic crisis
Until 1383, Portugal was ruled by D. Fernando I, king who had inherited the throne from his father, D. Peter I. The reign of D. Fernando I, however, was not very popular among the Portuguese people, as he had married D. Leonor Teles, who had already been married.
From the wedding of D. Fernando I and Leonor Teles, was born the princess beatrice, who, at the age of 11, was offered in marriage to John I of Castile, the king of the Kingdom of Castile, as a way to end the wars waged between Portugal and Castile (only in the reign of D. Fernando I, three wars were fought against Castile).
The situation in Portugal was dramatic after King D. Fernando I died in 1383. The Portuguese king did not have a male heir, therefore, Portuguese law determined that Portugal would be ruled by D. Leonor Teles until Princess Beatriz had an heir and this completed 14 years of age.
D. Leonor Teles became the ruler of Portugal, but soon began conspiracies against the regent. The conspiracies against Leonor Teles were preceded by a series of rebellions, and the conspirators - formed largely by the Portuguese bourgeoisie – they planned to assassinate Conde Andeiro, Leonor's alleged lover Teles.
Realizing that his position was threatened, D. Leonor asked for the help of her family and the king of Castile, John I of Castile. The support of the King of Castile for Leonor Teles was seen with great alarmism by the Portuguese bourgeoisie, who saw in this act a threat to independence from Portugal, because if John I of Castile assumed the throne, he could unify the territories of Portugal with the territories of Castile. The involvement of John I of Castile in the Portuguese dynastic crisis had the support of a large part of the nobility of Portugal.
The Portuguese bourgeoisie and the population of Lisbon chose João, Mestre de Avis, to lead the defense of Portugal against Castilian pretensions. The Master of Avis was the bastard son of King Pedro I, therefore, bastard brother of the late D. Fernando I. Furthermore, the Master of Avis was responsible for the murder of D.'s lover. Leonor Teles.
With this, Portugal split into two factions: one supporting João I of Castile and D. Leonor Teles and another supporting João, Mestre de Avis. This dynastic crisis in Portugal began in 1383 and lasted until 1385. This period in which Portugal did not have kings ruling the country was known as the interregnum.
War
The internal split in Portugal brought about by the dynastic crisis dragged the country into war. This war had the indirect involvement of other nations, as the French began to support John I of Castile, and the British began to support the Master of Avis. One of the remarkable episodes of this war between the Portuguese and the Castilians was the siege of Lisbon, in 1384.
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, was surrounded by Castilian troops in 1384 for about three months. The Castilians, however, were forced to withdraw when their troops were attacked by an outbreak of plague, which killed thousands of soldiers. The defeat in Lisbon, however, did not end the Castilian ambitions, so new battles took place.
The high point of this war occurred in the Battle of Aljubarrota, on August 14, 1385. This battle was extremely relevant, as it marked the end of Castile's claims to Portugal. In Aljubarrota, the Castilian troops, even numerically superior, were defeated by the Portuguese troops, led by D. Nuno Álvares Pereira.
The Portuguese victory is attributed to a defensive tactic that allowed the numerically inferior Portuguese troops to withstand a series of Castilian attacks. The role of D. Nuno Álvares in leadership is also understood as fundamental by historians. With the defeat at Aljubarrota, Castile's troops fled Portugal.
In the meantime, João, Mestre de Avis, had his role as a consolidated leader in Portugal. The result was that, after defeating the Castilians, the Master of Avis was proclaimed king in 1385. The Avis dynasty was started at that time, which was in power in Portugal until the year 1580. Once crowned, the Master of Avis became John I of Portugal and reigned until the year 1433.
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Importance of the Avis Revolution
The Avis Revolution was extremely important for definitively consolidating the formation of Portugal and putting the Castilians' ambitions aside for good. Portugal and Castile only signed peace again in 1411. The Avis Revolution was also responsible for consolidating Portugal politically and ensuring that the country focused on its economic development.
With political stability, the Portuguese kings guaranteed support for the development of the bourgeoisie and, thus, the commerce of Portugal grew considerably. The political stability established through the Avis Revolution also guaranteed the investment in nautical development, a fundamental element for the maritime expansion that the country spearheaded in the 15th century.
