Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Prazos: Feudal Estates That Shaped Africa
In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna explore the prazos da coroa — vast agricultural estates in the Zambezi Valley that became the backbone of Portuguese power in East Africa. Unlike the feitorias discussed in earlier episodes, these were feudal grants awarded to Portuguese women and their African descendants, creating a unique Afro-Portuguese aristocracy. Lucas explains how the Crown used prazos to control land and people, why they were granted to women, and how prazeiros like the da Cruz family built private armies thousands strong. He describes the rise of the…
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