Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal

Common card · No. 236050

D. Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal and 1st Count of Oeiras (Sernancelhe, Viseu, 13 May 1699 – 8 May 1782, Pombal), known as the Marquis of Pombal (Portuguese: Marquês de Pombal [mɐɾˈkez̺ ðɨ põˈbal]), was a Portuguese statesman and diplomat. During the reign of King Joseph I from 1750 to 1777, Pombal served as the king's leading minister and would become the dominant political force in the Kingdom of Portugal and its overseas empire. The son of a country squire and nephew of a prominent cleric, Pombal studied at the University of Coimbra before briefly serving in the Portuguese Army. Upon leaving the army, Pombal would return to academic life in Lisbon. In 1733, he withdrew to his family's estate in Soure after eloping with the widowed niece of a prominent nobleman. In 1738, with his uncle's assistance, he secured an appointment as King John V's ambassador to Great Britain. In 1745, he was named ambassador to Austria and served until 1749. When Joseph I ascended...

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