Jorge de Menezes (c. 1498[ citation needed] – 1537) was a Portuguese explorer. Due to a monsoon, he was forced to reside in Versya, posited by Pieter Anton Tiele as Waisai, between 1526 and 1527. [1] Menezes called the region Ilhas dos Papuas, [2] though the name of "Papua" was already known at the time. Yet he was still the first European to go ashore [3] and thus credited with the European discovery of New Guinea. [4]
As a nobleman, [5] he was possibly the "D. Jorge de Meneses" present at the His Most Faithful Majesty's Council of Manuel I of Portugal in 1518 and 1519. [6] In 1526, Menezes traveled to Brunei, detailing the city as being fortified by a brick wall and having a moderate number of notable buildings. [7] His visit opened a new route to the Moluccas, [8] becoming the favored course to Ternate. [9] Successor to Antonio de Brito, [10] Menezes was the Portuguese Governor of the Moluccas from 1527 until 1530, residing in Ternate. [11] On 22 August 1526, he left Portuguese Malacca [12] with 100 men [13] to take his post but was sidetracked by a monsoon, leading to his discovery of New Guinea; he arrived in Ternate on 31 May 1527. [12]
In 1528, he captured and plundered [14] a lightly-defended Spanish fort commanded by Hernando de la Torre, [15] during the competition between the empires over the Moluccas that ended with the Treaty of Zaragoza as well as a personal treaty with the Spanish and Menezes in 1529. [16] He further involved the Portuguese in the affairs of the sultanate and held Boheyat and Dayal prisoner in Fort Kastela. Officials suspected of conspiring against him were executed. [10] Beyond his political interferences, he committed atrocities against the population. [11] [14] [17] Under orders of Dayal's mother, the fort was besieged. [10] [17] Subsequently, Menezes was arrested and sent to Old Goa, Portuguese India [11] [14] by his successor, Gonçalo Pereira. [10] [18] After his return to Portugal, he was banished to the Colony of Brazil. [14] During a trip to Lisbon, Vasco Fernandes Coutinho left Menezes in charge of the Captaincy of Espírito Santo. [5] [19] He captured indigenous people and enslaved them on his sesmaria , [19] provoking an attack that temporarily destroyed the captaincy and eradicated the colonists in 1537. [5] [19] Menezes died in combat during the assault. [14]
Jorge de Menezes (c. 1498[ citation needed] – 1537) was a Portuguese explorer. Due to a monsoon, he was forced to reside in Versya, posited by Pieter Anton Tiele as Waisai, between 1526 and 1527. [1] Menezes called the region Ilhas dos Papuas, [2] though the name of "Papua" was already known at the time. Yet he was still the first European to go ashore [3] and thus credited with the European discovery of New Guinea. [4]
As a nobleman, [5] he was possibly the "D. Jorge de Meneses" present at the His Most Faithful Majesty's Council of Manuel I of Portugal in 1518 and 1519. [6] In 1526, Menezes traveled to Brunei, detailing the city as being fortified by a brick wall and having a moderate number of notable buildings. [7] His visit opened a new route to the Moluccas, [8] becoming the favored course to Ternate. [9] Successor to Antonio de Brito, [10] Menezes was the Portuguese Governor of the Moluccas from 1527 until 1530, residing in Ternate. [11] On 22 August 1526, he left Portuguese Malacca [12] with 100 men [13] to take his post but was sidetracked by a monsoon, leading to his discovery of New Guinea; he arrived in Ternate on 31 May 1527. [12]
In 1528, he captured and plundered [14] a lightly-defended Spanish fort commanded by Hernando de la Torre, [15] during the competition between the empires over the Moluccas that ended with the Treaty of Zaragoza as well as a personal treaty with the Spanish and Menezes in 1529. [16] He further involved the Portuguese in the affairs of the sultanate and held Boheyat and Dayal prisoner in Fort Kastela. Officials suspected of conspiring against him were executed. [10] Beyond his political interferences, he committed atrocities against the population. [11] [14] [17] Under orders of Dayal's mother, the fort was besieged. [10] [17] Subsequently, Menezes was arrested and sent to Old Goa, Portuguese India [11] [14] by his successor, Gonçalo Pereira. [10] [18] After his return to Portugal, he was banished to the Colony of Brazil. [14] During a trip to Lisbon, Vasco Fernandes Coutinho left Menezes in charge of the Captaincy of Espírito Santo. [5] [19] He captured indigenous people and enslaved them on his sesmaria , [19] provoking an attack that temporarily destroyed the captaincy and eradicated the colonists in 1537. [5] [19] Menezes died in combat during the assault. [14]