Henrique Dias (died 8 June 1662) was a Portuguese soldier and militia leader born in the

colony of Brazil Colonial Brazil ( pt, Brasil Colonial) comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a kingdom in union with Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Dur ...

. There is no consensus among historians whether he was born free or captive.

Military career

Dias led a military regiment composed of enslaved and freed slaves and was known as "Governor of the Blacks" in 1636.1. Mattos, Hebe. ""Black Troops" and Hierarchies of Color in the Portuguese Atlantic World: The Case of Henrique Dias and His Black Regiment." ''Luso-Brazilian Review'' 45, no. 1 (2008): 8. Dias defended

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

settlements from Dutch forces and played important roles in the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and Second Battles of Guararapes, in the defense of Salvador, Bahia, and to restore

control over

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it List of Brazilian states by population, sev ...

. Dias' title was expanded to "Governor of All Creoles, Blacks, and Mulattoes," in 1639. It is debated whether Dias received nobility status within Brazil, some believe Dias was granted

Knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the ...

in The Order of Christ, while others debate Dias never received this titleMattos, Hebe. "'Pretos' and 'Pardos' between the Cross and the Sword: Racial Categories in Seventeenth Century Brazil." ''Revista Europea De Estudios Latinoamericanos Y Del Caribe / European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies'', no. 80 (2006): 46. and requested knighthood be granted to the men who marry his daughters. Dias traveled to Portugal and petitioned the crown to grant his requests. Dias requested the enslaved blacks who served with him be freed should have "all the rights and privileges of white units".Allen, "Henrique Dias", p. 375. Dias also requested to be compensated for his efforts and allowed to serve as long as he wished.

References

External links

*
History of Portuguese America, in Portuguese, by Sebastião da Rocha Pita
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dias, Henrique 1662 deaths Knights of the Military Order of Christ Colonial Brazil People of the Dutch–Portuguese War Year of birth unknown

Military career

See also

References

Further reading

External links