John V of Portugal

John V
Portrait by Jean Ranc, c. 1729
King of Portugal (more...)
Reign	9 December 1706 – 31 July 1750
Acclamation	1 January 1707, Lisbon
Predecessor	Peter II
Successor	Joseph I
Born	22 October 1689 Ribeira Palace, Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	31 July 1750 (aged 60) Ribeira Palace, Lisbon
Burial	Pantheon of the Braganzas
Spouse	Maria Anna of Austria ​ ​ (m. 1708)​
Issue among others...	Barbara, Queen of Spain Pedro, Prince of Brazil Joseph I, King of Portugal Infante Carlos Peter III, King of Portugal Infante Alexandre Illegitimate: António of Braganza Gaspar, Archbishop of Braga José, High Inquisitor of Portugal Maria Rita of Braganza
Names Portuguese: João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo
House	Braganza
Father	Peter II of Portugal
Mother	Maria Sophia of Neuburg
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

Dom John V (Portuguese: João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo; 22 October 1689 – 31 July 1750), known as the Magnanimous (o Magnânimo) and the Portuguese Sun King (o Rei-Sol Português),^[a] was King of Portugal from 9 December 1706 until his death in 1750. His reign saw the rise of Portugal and its monarchy to new levels of prosperity, wealth, and prestige among European courts.^[1]

John V's reign saw an enormous influx of gold into the coffers of the royal treasury, supplied largely by the royal fifth (a tax on precious metals) that was received from the Portuguese colonies of Brazil and Maranhão. John spent lavishly on ambitious architectural works, most notably Mafra Palace, and on commissions and additions for his sizable art and literary collections. Owing to his craving for international diplomatic recognition, John also spent large sums on the embassies he sent to the courts of Europe, the most famous being those he sent to Paris in 1715 and Rome in 1716.

Disregarding traditional Portuguese institutions of governance, John V ruled as an absolute monarch. In keeping with a traditional policy pursued by previous monarchs of the House of Braganza which stressed the importance of good relations with Europe, John's reign was marked by numerous interventions into the affairs of other European states, most notably as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. On the imperial front, John V pursued an expansionist policy, with significant territorial gains in Portuguese India and Portuguese America.

John V was a very pious man who devoted large parts of his day to prayer and religious study. He rewarded his long-awaited recognition as a lawful monarch by Pope Benedict XIV with a fervent devotion to the Catholic Church and some very large donations to the Holy See. The Pope granted John V the style "Most Faithful Majesty," which appealed to him greatly. However, John's relationship with the papacy varied at different periods in his reign; there were both close relations and conflicts at different times during the reigns of five different popes.^[2]

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