O Paraíso num Labirinto Infernal. A Capitania de António Galvão, 7º Capitão das Molucas (1536-1539)

Abstract

The present work seeks to provide an insight the tenure of the seventh Portuguese captain of Ternate António Galvão, who held office between October 29 1536 and October 25 1539, by examining the main political and social events recorded during his captaincy and his actions as the head of Portuguese power in the region. Long considered the most effective Portuguese commander to have ever served in the Moluccas, as well as one of the most scrupulous officials of the Portuguese Crown in the 16th century, at the time of writing this work, a level of obscurity persisted around his character, actions and motivations despite his long-standing reputation, as has been noted by some scholars, with the available information still scattered across various primary and secondary sources, the lack of contemporary studies having motivated the present work.