Overseas Portuguese History (17th-19th centuries)
Cod: 31375
Department: DCSG
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: History
Total working hours:
Total contact time: 15

Throughout this course unit the study of the conjunctures of the Portuguese Empire, from the 17th to the 19th century, will be analysed, mapping its evolution, from the context of the dual monarchy to the last quarter of the 19th century. Alongside this analysis, the contexts of crisis and imperial survival will be explained, taking into account the (in)stable balances of colonial ties, describing the colonial patterns that were built in a long-term conjuncture.  The different "global" interactions will also be addressed, taking into account the different imperial disputes that took place in the analysed centuries. Finally, the different cultural contacts that were established will be evaluated. This will be achieved through case studies that express the cultural interactions established by Portugal in the extra-European space.

Colonialism; Imperialism; Global History

During the timely arch 17th – 19th centuries students are expected:

- To understand the  evolution of Portuguese presence in African, American and Asian spaces;

- To characterize the Portuguese empire  patterns of colonization over a long period;

- To confront interpretive trends of imperial cycles  of the Portuguese  empire and other empires, namely European ;

- To explain imperial cycles, bearing in mind centers and peripheries,  imperial survival in Asian spaces, imperial consolidation in American space, and the "rickety empire " in African spaces ;

-To analyze the evolution of plural cultural contacts established by the Portuguese in the multiple imperial webs;

- To problematize emblematic issues that Portugal had to confront during the development of the different imperial dynamics.

We approach 4 themes:  In the 1st, "From the conjunctures of the Portuguese empire - 17th to 19th century ", we analyse the evolution of the Portuguese presence in African, American and Asian spaces, from the dual monarchy to the end of the 19th century. In the 2nd, "From the imperial crisis and survival to the (un)stable equilibrium of colonial interactions", we characterize colonial patterns. In the 3rd, "Global Interactions : different imperial disputes”,  we expose interpretive trends of imperial cycles, the centers and peripheries, imperial survival in Asian spaces, imperial consolidation in American space, and the "rickety empire" in African spaces. In the 4th, «Plural cultural contacts: interactions, representations and consistencies", we deal with the transmission and contamination of knowledge, the images built upon imperial dynamics and cultural permanences, through case studies that express the cultural interactions established in and by Portugal overseas.

Bibliografia de consulta obrigatória:

Avelar, A.P. (2022) Veredas da Modernidade…, Lisboa, Colibri.

Avelar, A.P. (2017) “Da tradução cultural e das suas "faces orientalistas", no discurso historiográfico em Portugal ( séculos XVI- XIX) reflexões em torno de um objeto” in Catarina Almeida e Marta Pinto, Oriente em tradução, Línguas, Literaturas e Culturas Asiáticas no Espaço Lusófono. Lisboa, Edições Húmus.

Bethencourt, F., Curto, D.R. dir.(2010)A Expansão Marítima Portuguesa, 1400-1800. Lisboa: Edições 70.

Bethencourt, F., Chaudhuri, K.dir. (1988)História da Expansão Portuguesa, 5vols.Lisboa: Temas e Debates.

Oliveira e Costa, J. P., Rodrigues, D., Oliveira, P. A., História da Expansão e do Império Português. Lisboa: Círculo dos Leitores.

Russell-Wood, A.J.R.(2016) O Império Português 1415-1808 . O Mundo em Movimento. Lisboa: Clube do Leitor

E-Learning

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a final digital test, Global e-folio (e-folio G) at the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final exam (100%).