Afonso I (of Portugal)


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Notes

In 1093 Henry of Bourgogne came to the assistance of Castile when it was invaded by the Moors. In gratitude Alfonso I of Castile made Henry count of Portugal. On the death of Alfonso in 1109, Count Henry, and later his widow, Teresa, refused to continue feudal allegiance to Le�n. He invaded Le�n and began a series of peninsular wars, but with little success. In 1128 his son, Afonso Henriques, rebelled against his mother. In 1139 Afonso Henriques declared Portugal independent from the Spanish kingdom of Castile and Le�n, and took the title Afonso I. Four years later, through the Treaty of Zamora, King Alfonso VII of Le�n accepted Portugal's sovereignty and Afonso's position as king. Portugal was recognized as independent by the pope in 1179.

Afonso I (of Portugal), in Portuguese, Afonso Henriques (1109-1185), first king of Portugal (1139-85), and son of Henry of Bourgogne, count of Portugal. As an infant, he inherited his father's title, and in 1128 he defeated his mother, Teresa, the erstwhile regent, in battle. He began a long struggle for independence from Le�n soon thereafter; he won this war in 1139. On July 25 of that year he also won a decisive victory over the Moors at Qurique and proclaimed himself king of Portugal. His subsequent victories over the Moors included the capture of Santar�m in 1147, and, with the help of Crusaders en route to the Holy Land, the capture of Lisbon in October of that year.


Exerpts from
"Afonso I (of Portugal)," & "Portugal," Microsoft� Encarta� Encyclopedia 99.
� 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


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