Duarte Barbosa(c. 1480 – 1 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer fromPortuguese India(between 1500 and 1516). He was ascrivenerin afeitoriain Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language,Malayalam.Barbosa wrote theBook of Duarte Barbosa(Portuguese:Livro de Duarte Barbosa) c. 1516, making it one of the earliest examples of Portuguesetravel literature.
Duarte Barbosa | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1480 |
| Died | 1 May 1521 |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Occupation(s) | Writer,scrivener,explorer |
| Signature | |
In 1519, Barbosa embarked on thefirst expedition to circumnavigate the world,led by his brother-in-lawFerdinand Magellan.[1]Barbosa was killed in 1521, at a banquet held byRajah Humabonin thePhilippines,a few days after theBattle of MactanonCebu Island.
Early life
editBarbosa's father was Diogo Barbosa. Diogo was a servant ofÁlvaro of Braganza,and in 1501 he went to India in a joint venture with Álvaro,Bartholomeu Marchionni,and the3rd Portuguese India Armada(captained byJoão da Nova). While Diogo was away, Barbosa remained inKochiwith his uncle, Gonçalo Gil Barbosa, who worked as afactor.(Earlier, Gonçalo had travelled with the 1500 fleet ofPedro Álvares Cabral.)
Career
editIn 1502, Gonçalo was transferred toCannanore,and Barbosa went with him. There, Barbosa learnedMalayalam,the local language. Barbosa served as the interpreter forAlfonso de Albuquerque's contact with the Rajah of Cannanore the next year (1503). In 1513, Barbosa signed a letter to KingManuel I of Portugalas Clerk of Cannanore, claiming the position of master-clerk, and the year after that (1514), Afonso de Albuquerque used Barbosa's position as an interpreter to attempt to convert the King of Kochi.[2]
Book of Duarte Barbosa
editIn 1515, Albuquerque sent Barbosa toKozhikodeto oversee the construction of two ships that would serve on an expedition to the Red Sea under the new governor. Barbosa returned to Portugal and completed his manuscript,Book of Duarte Barbosa.According to Italian writerGiovanni Battista Ramusio's preface, Barbosa completed his manuscript in 1516 with detailed accounts of foreign cultures. Previously known only through the testimony of Ramusio, the original manuscript was discovered and published in the early nineteenth century inLisbon, Portugal.
Circumnavigation with Magellan
editDispleased by his position, Barbosa joined several Portuguese meeting inSevillein southern Spain. Diogo had followed D.Álvaro of Braganzainto exile inSevillewhere Álvaro had become mayor, where Diogo became governor of the castle of Seville. In 1516Ferdinand Magellanmoved to Seville and befriended Diogo, both having traveled to India. Soon Magellan married Barbosa's sister Beatriz, becoming Duarte Barbosa's brother in law, strengthening the links between the Barbosa and Magellan families.
On 10 August 1519 Duarte Barbosa sailed from Seville on Magellan's voyage of circumnavigation, along with his friendJoão Serrão.His curiosity led him to leave the expedition for the company of locals several times during the voyage, to Magellan's annoyance. Magellan even came to arrest him. On 2April1520, however, the help of Duarte Barbosa was crucial to facing down a riot inPuerto San Julian(Argentina), and thereafter Barbosa become captain of theVictoria.According toAntonio Pigafetta's account, after Magellan's death on 27April1521 at theBattle of Mactan(Philippines), Barbosa was one of the few survivors of the battle and was made co-commander of the expedition along with João Serrão. Barbosa tried to recover Magellan's body without success. He tried to landEnrique of Malacca,but gave up. Despite themanumissionhe was entitled to according to Magellan'swillmade before departure, Duarte Barbosa or João Serrão[3]then threatened to enslave him to Magellan's widow. The fear of Enrique has since been considered an argument for him conspiring withRajah Humabon.On 1 May1521 all were invited by the rajah to a banquet ashore nearCebu,the Philippines, to receive a gift for the king of Spain. There Barbosa and many others were killed. João Serrão was brought by natives who wanted to exchange him for weapons, but was left behind and was saved by the pilot João Carvalho. Enrique disappeared.
References
edit- ^One theory suggests that there were two people named Duarte Barbosa, on the basis of subsequent reporting ofJoão de Barrosin "Decades of Asia", that refers to one clerk named Duarte Barbosa in 1529 in Cannanore Island. The majority of documents confirm, however, that the author of "The Book of Duarte Barbosa" and participant in the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan Island where the same, see the entry for "Duarte Barbosa, Mansel Longworth Dames, The Book of Duarte Barbosa: An account of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean and their inhabitants", Asian Educational Services, 1989,ISBN81-206-0451-2.
- ^Barbosa, Duarte; Magalhães, Fernão de; Dames, Mansel Longworth (2002).The book of Duarte Barbosa: an account of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean and their inhabitants. 2(2nd AES Reprint ed.). New Delhi: Asian Educational Services.ISBN978-81-206-0451-3.
- ^PigafettaandTransylvanusdiffer on who was responsible for the massacre that occurred atCebuin thePhilippines.Transylvanus states that it wasJoão Serrãowho mistreatedEnrique de Malacca,Magellan's former slave, thereby causing Enrique to plot the massacre; Pigafetta, who did not attend the banquet that served as the trap, blames Duarte Barbosa.
Bibliography
edit- Duarte Barbosa,Mansel Longworth Dames,(1518)"The book of Duarte Barbosa: an account of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean and their inhabitants",Asian Educational Services, 1989,ISBN81-206-0451-2
- Stanley, Henry E. J. ed. and trans. (1866).A description of the coasts of East Africa and Malabar by Duarte Barbosa.London: Hakluyt Society.
- Dames, Mansel Longworth(1918–1921).The book of Duarte Barbosa: an account of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean and their inhabitants (2 Volumes).London: Hakluyt Society.OCLC3640216.
External links
edit
- Works by Duarte BarbosaatProject Gutenberg
- Works by or about Duarte Barbosaat theInternet Archive
- Ray, Aniruddha (2012)."Barbosa, Duarte".InIslam, Sirajul;Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.).Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh(Second ed.).Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- His travelogue is available online in Portuguese:Livro em que dá relação do que viu e ouviu no Oriente, from the Biblioteca Nacional Digital athttps://web.archive.org/web/20090303053302/http://purl.pt/435