John III's policy of reinforcing Portugal's bases in India (such as Goa) secured Portugal's monopoly over the spice trade of cloves and nutmeg from the Maluku Islands. John succeeded his father in 1521 at the age of nineteen.ĭuring his rule Portuguese possessions were extended in Asia and in the New World through the Portuguese colonization of Brazil. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. John III ( Portuguese: João III Portuguese pronunciation: 7 June 1502 – 11 June 1557), nicknamed The Pious ( Portuguese: o Piedoso), was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1521 until his death in 1557.
