Pêro de Anaia
Encyclopedia
Pêro de Anaia or Pedro d'Anaya or Anhaya or da Nhaya or da Naia (14?? - Sofala
, March 1506) was a Castilian
-Portuguese
16th C. knight, who established and became the first captain-major of the Portuguese Fort São Caetano
in Sofala
, and thus the first colonial governor of Portuguese East Africa
(Mozambique).
, Pêro de Anaia was the son of Castilian
nobleman Diego de Anaya, who fought in the Castilian civil war
of the 1470s for the Beltraneja party, alongside King Afonso V of Portugal
. He moved or was exiled to Portugal
at the conclusion of that war. His son Pêro de Anaia became a knight of the Portuguese king's household.
assigned Pêro de Anaia the duty of establishing a permanent Portuguese fortress and factory
in the East African town of Sofala
, at that time a reluctant vassal of the Kilwa Sultanate
and major entrepot for the Monomatapa gold trade.
In late March, 1505, Anaia set out with his own ship, the Sant'Iago (also called the Nuncia) as part of the 7th Portuguese India Armada
commanded by D. Francisco de Almeida
. However, Anaia's ship floundered in the Tagus
estuary upon departure, and he was forced to return to Lisbon
. A new expedition was quickly assembled, and Anaia set out again on May 18, 1505, this time at the head of his own six-ship squadron
bound for Sofala, carrying much building equipment.
After arriving in Sofala
in early September, 1505, his squadron more-or-less intact, Pêro de Anaia secured permission from the ruling sheikh Isuf of Sofala
for permission to erect a Portuguese fortress and factory in the island-city.
of Sofala was essentially finished and Pêro de Anaia opened the royal credentials assuming the title of Capitão-Mor (Captain-Major) of the fortress and garrison.
Fort São Caetano was first permanent Portuguese colony
in East Africa
, and the kernel of what was to become the Portuguese colonial province of Mozambique. Consequently, Pêro de Anaia, being the first 'Captain of Sofala', is generally considered the first Portuguese colonial governor of Mozambique.
As per his instructions, in late January or early February 1506, Pêro de Anaia dispatched four of his ships to Portuguese India
. He placed the remaining two caravel
s under his son, Francisco de Anaia, to serve a local coastal patrol (The younger Anaia had a commission as capitão-mor do mar de Sofala).
The beginnings of Fort Sofala were difficult. The Portuguese soon found out they had little or no means to procure food and other supplies. Moreover, being situated on a mangrove swamp, fevers (probably malaria
and/or yellow fever
) quickly overwhelmed most of the Portuguese garrison. To cap their misfortunes, the hapless younger Anaia crashed both the patrol ships on shoal
s near Mozambique, leaving Fort Sofala without means of securing external supplies or communication.
It was precisely at this moment of great weakness, in late February or early March of 1506, that a group of Sofalese nobles who had opposed the Portuguese presence, induced a mainland Bantu chieftain Moconde to lead an assault on the weakened Portuguese fort. Pêro de Anaia defended the fort with his handful of remaining healthy soldiers, bolstered by a number of Swahili
auxiliaries. The besiegers were scattered. In the aftermath, Anaia broke into the royal palace and killed sheikh Isuf of Sofala for conspiring in the treachery (it is said the sheikh Isuf, a blind octogenarian, threw his sword at the sound of footsteps, and managed to wound Anaia, before being himself killed.)
The next day, a revenge attack on Fort Sofala broke down, when rival Sofalese nobles began to quarrel with each other for succession. Somehow Pêro de Anaia managed to play the role of arbitrator, and secured the installation of Isuf's son, Suleiman, as the new sheikh of Sofala. Suleiman promptly put an end to Sofalese intrigues against the Portuguese.
Pêro de Anaia, however, did not survive long. In early March 1506, just a few days after the Bantu assault on the fort, Anaia himself fell victim to the malaria
l fevers and died. The Portuguese factor
, Manuel Fernandes de Meireles, apparently the only European man immune to the fevers, was elected by what remained of the sick garrison as acting captain of Sofala.
to deliver his report to the vice-roy D. Francisco de Almeida
. Hearing of the disastrous conditions, Almeida dispatched Nuno Vaz Pereira to assume the capitaincy of Sofala at the end of 1506 and do what he could to restore its conditions.
Pereira was superseded in September 1507 by Vasco Gomes de Abreu, who had been sent directly by the king from Lisbon. Abreu took command of Sofala, and directed operations to capture nearby Mozambique Island, which had a much more suitable harbor than the shoals-clogged Sofala. The Captaincy of Sofala was thus enlarged to include Mozambique Island. Much of the European garrison and administration was subsequently transferred to healthier Mozambique, and Fort Sofala was effectively reduced to an outpost, although colonial governors of Portuguese East Africa
continued to bear 'Captain of Sofala' as their primary title.
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
, March 1506) was a Castilian
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
-Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
16th C. knight, who established and became the first captain-major of the Portuguese Fort São Caetano
Fort São Caetano
Fort São Caetano is a fort that was built in the 16th century in the present town of Sofala, Mozambique. The fort precisely dates from 1505. Pêro de Anaia assumed the title of Captain-General of Sofala and made Sofala the first Portuguese colony in the region....
in Sofala
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
, and thus the first colonial governor of Portuguese East Africa
Portuguese East Africa
Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa was the common name by which the Portuguese Empire's territorial expansion in East Africa was known across different periods of time...
(Mozambique).
Background
According to chronicler João de BarrosJoão de Barros
João de Barros , called the Portuguese Livy, is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his Décadas da Ásia , a history of the Portuguese in India and Asia.-Early years:...
, Pêro de Anaia was the son of Castilian
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
nobleman Diego de Anaya, who fought in the Castilian civil war
War of the Castilian Succession
The War of the Castilian Succession was the military conflict contested from 1475 to 1479 for the succession of the Crown of Castile fought between the supporters of Juana la Beltraneja, daughter of the late monarch Henry IV of Castile, and those of Henry's half sister, Isabella, who was ultimately...
of the 1470s for the Beltraneja party, alongside King Afonso V of Portugal
Afonso V of Portugal
Afonso V KG , called the African , was the twelfth King of Portugal and the Algarves. His sobriquet refers to his conquests in Northern Africa.-Early life:...
. He moved or was exiled to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
at the conclusion of that war. His son Pêro de Anaia became a knight of the Portuguese king's household.
Expedition to Sofala
In early 1505, King Manuel I of PortugalManuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
assigned Pêro de Anaia the duty of establishing a permanent Portuguese fortress and factory
Factory (trading post)
Factory was the English term for the trading posts system originally established by Europeans in foreign territories, first within different states of medieval Europe, and later in their colonial possessions...
in the East African town of Sofala
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
, at that time a reluctant vassal of the Kilwa Sultanate
Kilwa Sultanate
The Kilwa Sultanate was a Medieval sultanate, centered at Kilwa , whose authority, at its height, stretched over the entire length of the Swahili Coast. It was founded in the 10th century by Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi...
and major entrepot for the Monomatapa gold trade.
In late March, 1505, Anaia set out with his own ship, the Sant'Iago (also called the Nuncia) as part of the 7th Portuguese India Armada
7th Portuguese India Armada (Almeida, 1505)
The Seventh India Armada was assembled in 1505 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of D. Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of the Indies...
commanded by D. Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
. However, Anaia's ship floundered in the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
estuary upon departure, and he was forced to return to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. A new expedition was quickly assembled, and Anaia set out again on May 18, 1505, this time at the head of his own six-ship squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
bound for Sofala, carrying much building equipment.
After arriving in Sofala
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
in early September, 1505, his squadron more-or-less intact, Pêro de Anaia secured permission from the ruling sheikh Isuf of Sofala
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
for permission to erect a Portuguese fortress and factory in the island-city.
Captain of Sofala
By November, 1505 the perimeter of the Portuguese Fort São CaetanoFort São Caetano
Fort São Caetano is a fort that was built in the 16th century in the present town of Sofala, Mozambique. The fort precisely dates from 1505. Pêro de Anaia assumed the title of Captain-General of Sofala and made Sofala the first Portuguese colony in the region....
of Sofala was essentially finished and Pêro de Anaia opened the royal credentials assuming the title of Capitão-Mor (Captain-Major) of the fortress and garrison.
Fort São Caetano was first permanent Portuguese colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, and the kernel of what was to become the Portuguese colonial province of Mozambique. Consequently, Pêro de Anaia, being the first 'Captain of Sofala', is generally considered the first Portuguese colonial governor of Mozambique.
As per his instructions, in late January or early February 1506, Pêro de Anaia dispatched four of his ships to Portuguese India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
. He placed the remaining two caravel
Caravel
A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward...
s under his son, Francisco de Anaia, to serve a local coastal patrol (The younger Anaia had a commission as capitão-mor do mar de Sofala).
The beginnings of Fort Sofala were difficult. The Portuguese soon found out they had little or no means to procure food and other supplies. Moreover, being situated on a mangrove swamp, fevers (probably malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and/or yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
) quickly overwhelmed most of the Portuguese garrison. To cap their misfortunes, the hapless younger Anaia crashed both the patrol ships on shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
s near Mozambique, leaving Fort Sofala without means of securing external supplies or communication.
It was precisely at this moment of great weakness, in late February or early March of 1506, that a group of Sofalese nobles who had opposed the Portuguese presence, induced a mainland Bantu chieftain Moconde to lead an assault on the weakened Portuguese fort. Pêro de Anaia defended the fort with his handful of remaining healthy soldiers, bolstered by a number of Swahili
Swahili people
The Swahili people are a Bantu ethnic group and culture found in East Africa, mainly in the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya, Tanzania and north Mozambique. According to JoshuaProject, the Swahili number in at around 1,328,000. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil,...
auxiliaries. The besiegers were scattered. In the aftermath, Anaia broke into the royal palace and killed sheikh Isuf of Sofala for conspiring in the treachery (it is said the sheikh Isuf, a blind octogenarian, threw his sword at the sound of footsteps, and managed to wound Anaia, before being himself killed.)
The next day, a revenge attack on Fort Sofala broke down, when rival Sofalese nobles began to quarrel with each other for succession. Somehow Pêro de Anaia managed to play the role of arbitrator, and secured the installation of Isuf's son, Suleiman, as the new sheikh of Sofala. Suleiman promptly put an end to Sofalese intrigues against the Portuguese.
Pêro de Anaia, however, did not survive long. In early March 1506, just a few days after the Bantu assault on the fort, Anaia himself fell victim to the malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
l fevers and died. The Portuguese factor
Factor (agent)
A factor, from the Latin "he who does" , is a person who professionally acts as the representative of another individual or other legal entity, historically with his seat at a factory , notably in the following contexts:-Mercantile factor:In a relatively large company, there could be a hierarchy,...
, Manuel Fernandes de Meireles, apparently the only European man immune to the fevers, was elected by what remained of the sick garrison as acting captain of Sofala.
Aftermath
In June 1506, two Portuguese ships of Cide Barbudo and Pedro Quaresma arrived in Sofala, hoping to deliver letters from King Manuel I with new instructions for Anaia. They found Fort Sofala in a terrible shape, most of the garrison dead or dying of fevers and starving for food. Leaving Quaresma behind to bolster the fort and procure relief, Barbudo rushed to Portuguese IndiaPortuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
to deliver his report to the vice-roy D. Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
. Hearing of the disastrous conditions, Almeida dispatched Nuno Vaz Pereira to assume the capitaincy of Sofala at the end of 1506 and do what he could to restore its conditions.
Pereira was superseded in September 1507 by Vasco Gomes de Abreu, who had been sent directly by the king from Lisbon. Abreu took command of Sofala, and directed operations to capture nearby Mozambique Island, which had a much more suitable harbor than the shoals-clogged Sofala. The Captaincy of Sofala was thus enlarged to include Mozambique Island. Much of the European garrison and administration was subsequently transferred to healthier Mozambique, and Fort Sofala was effectively reduced to an outpost, although colonial governors of Portuguese East Africa
Portuguese East Africa
Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa was the common name by which the Portuguese Empire's territorial expansion in East Africa was known across different periods of time...
continued to bear 'Captain of Sofala' as their primary title.
See also
- Portuguese expedition to Sofala (Anaia, 1505)Portuguese expedition to Sofala (Anaia, 1505)The 1505 expedition of Pêro de Anaia to Sofala led to the establishment of Fort São Caetano, the first permanent Portuguese colony in East Africa. The Capitaincy of Sofala would eventually evolve into the colonial government of Portuguese Mozambique....
- 7th Portuguese India Armada (Almeida, 1505)7th Portuguese India Armada (Almeida, 1505)The Seventh India Armada was assembled in 1505 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of D. Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of the Indies...
Sources
- João de BarrosJoão de BarrosJoão de Barros , called the Portuguese Livy, is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his Décadas da Ásia , a history of the Portuguese in India and Asia.-Early years:...
(1552–59) Décadas da Ásia: Dos feitos, que os Portuguezes fizeram no descubrimento, e conquista, dos mares, e terras do Oriente..
- *Fernão Lopes de CastanhedaFernão Lopes de CastanhedaFernão Lopes de Castanheda was a Portuguese historian in the early Renaissance.His "History of the discovery and conquest of India", full of geographic and ethnographic objective information, was widely translated throughout Europe.- Life :Castanheda was the natural son of a royal officer, who...
(1551–1560) História do descobrimento & conquista da Índia pelos portugueses [1833 edition]
- Newitt, M.D. (1995) A History of Mozambique. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
- Theal, G.M. (1902) The Beginning of South African History. London: Unwin.