Barros, João de

Barros, João de

▪ Portuguese historian
born c. 1496, , Viseu?, Port.
died Oct. 20, 1570, Ribeira de Litém, near Pombal
 Portuguese historian and civil servant who wrote Décadas da Ásia, 4 vol. (1552–1615), one of the first great accounts of European overseas exploration and colonization.

      Barros was educated in the household of the Portuguese heir-apparent and became a good classical scholar. His chivalrous romance Crónica do Imperador Clarimundo (1520) induced King Manuel I of Portugal to encourage Barros in his idea of writing an epic history of the Portuguese in Asia. But first he wrote several moral, pedagogical, and grammatical works, including Rópica pnefma (1532; “Spiritual Merchandise”), the most important philosophical dialogue of the time in Portugal, and an elementary Portuguese primer-catechism (1539) that became the prototype of all such works.

      In 1522 the succeeding king, John III, sent Barros to Guinea (in western Africa), and soon after his return he was appointed treasurer (1525–28) and then factor of the Casa da India e Mina (1533–67), a post corresponding to crown administrator of the Portuguese colonies in Guinea and India. It was in this period that Barros wrote Décadas da Ásia, an epic historical account of Portuguese discoveries and conquests in the Orient to 1538. In compiling his chronicle, Barros used his official position to consult returned soldiers, merchants, and administrators and peruse all the official correspondence, while he himself was personally involved in the dispatch and return of the annual India fleets.

      He finished the first draft in 1539; the first volume was published in 1552, with subsequent volumes appearing in 1553 and 1563. The last volume, which appeared posthumously in 1615, covered the period from 1539 to the end of the century and was edited and written by Diogo do Couto. Barros' other works on geography, commerce, and navigation disappeared after his death.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • BARROS, JOÃO DE —    a distinguished Portuguese historian; his great work. Asia Portugueza, relates, in a pure and simple style, the discoveries and conquests of the Portuguese in the Indies; he did not live to complete it (1493 1570) …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Joao de Barros (1496) — João de Barros (1496) Pour les articles homonymes, voir João de Barros. João de Barros, de l édition Da Asia, de 1778 Jean de Barros (en …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Joao de Barros — João de Barros João de Barros (IPA ʒu. ɐ̃w̃ dɨ ba.ʁuʃ) (* 1496; † 20. Oktober 1570) ist einer der ersten großen portugiesischen Historiker, der vor allem durch seine Décadas da Ásia (Dekaden von Asien) bekannt wurde, in denen er die Geschichte… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • João de Barros — (IPA ʒu. ɐ̃w̃ dɨ ba.ʁuʃ) (* 1496; † 20. Oktober 1570) ist einer der ersten großen portugiesischen Historiker, der vor allem durch seine Décadas da Ásia (Dekaden von Asien) bekannt wurde, in denen er die Geschichte der Portugiesen in Indien und …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Joao de Barros —     João de Barros     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► João de Barros     Historian, b. in Portugal, 1496; d. 20 October, 1570. Of his early youth little is known. In 1522, he went to Mina in Portuguese Africa, and was made treasurer of the Casa da… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Barros [2] — Barros, Joao de B., geb. 1496 zu Viseo, Page u. Gesellschafter des nachmaligen Königs Johann III. von Portugal, wurde 1521 Gouverneur in Guinea u. 1524 Schatzmeister bei dem Indischen Departement; 1539 mit der Provinz Maranhao in Brasilien… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • João de Barros (1496) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir João de Barros. João de Barros, de l édition Da Asia, de 1778 Jean de Barros (en portugais João de Barros) (né en …   Wikipédia en Français

  • João de Barros — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar …   Wikipedia Español

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