The Captaincy General was a division of a
viceroyalty
A viceroyalty was an entity headed by a viceroy. It dates back to the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the sixteenth century.
British Empire India
* British Raj, India was governed by the Governor-General of India, Governor-General and Vi ...
in
Spanish or
Portuguese colonial administration. Captaincies general were established districts that were under threat from foreign invasion or attack from indigenous peoples. Their governors were the
Captains general.
Spanish captaincies general, on account of their independence and distance from the crown, became virtual viceroyalties, having a direct relationship with the king and the
Council of the Indies, in Madrid.
Notes
See also
*
Captain-major
A donatary captain was a Portuguese colonial official to whom the Crown granted jurisdiction, rights and revenues over some colonial territory. The recipient of these grants was called a (donatary), because he had been given the grant as a (donat ...
*
Captain general
*
Captaincy
A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish colonies, Spanish and Portuguese colonies, Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule admin ...
*
Captaincies of the Spanish Empire
*
Captaincies of the Portuguese Empire
**
Captaincies of Brazil
The Captaincies of Brazil () were captaincies of the Portuguese Empire, administrative divisions and Fief, hereditary fiefs of Portugal in the colony of ''Ilha de Vera Cruz, Terra de Santa Cruz'', later called Colonial Brazil, Brazil, on the Atl ...
{{Spain-hist-stub