José Rodrigues Coelho do Amaral

Portuguese noble, colonial administrator and soldier
José Rodrigues Coelho do Amaral
Governor of Angola
In office
1854–1860
Preceded byMiguel Ximenes Gomes Rodrigues Sandoval de Castro e Viegas
Succeeded byCarlos Augusto Franco
In office
1869–1870
Preceded byFrancisco António Gonçalves Cardoso
Succeeded byJoaquim José da Graça
Governor of Macau
In office
22 June 1863 – 26 October 1866
Preceded byIsidoro Francisco Guimarães
Succeeded byJosé Maria da Ponte e Horta
Governors-General of Mozambique
In office
August 1870 – December 1873
Preceded byInácio A. Alves
Succeeded byJosé Manuel Crispiniano da Fonseca
Personal details
Born(1808-05-15)15 May 1808
Lisbon, Portugal
Died14 December 1873(1873-12-14) (aged 65)
Island of Mozambique, Mozambique, Portugal
Chinese name
Chinese阿穆恩
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinĀ Mù'ēn
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingaa3 muk6 jan1
Macau street sign of Estrada de Coelho do Amaral

José Rodrigues Coelho do Amaral (15 May 1808 – 14 December 1873, Portuguese Mozambique) was a Portuguese noble who served as a colonial administrator and soldier in the Portuguese Empire. He is best known for his roles as the two time governor of Angola and the governor of Macau and governor of Mozambique.[1] Coelho do Amaral further served Portugal as the plenipotentiary minister to China.

Biography

José Rodrigues Coelho do Amaral was born to a Portuguese noble family in 1808.

At an early age he joined the military. He became a military engineer, rapidly climbing the ranks to notably become the colonel of the Corps of Engineers and then a general.

His first major posting came in 1854 when he was made the governor of Angola, a post he held until 1860.

Three years later, on 22 June 1863, he was nominated as governor of Macau, a posting that lasted until 1866. He was instrumental in shaping the modern-day city through his many works. One of his first major acts as governor was the demolition of the Convento de São Francisco, building in its place a barracks for the 1st Battalion of the Line, a project completed on 30 December 1866. He later expanded the project that would later become the Forte de São Francisco. After its destruction, the barracks was rebuilt in 1937. Near the convent there was a wooded area called Campo de S. Francisco. Coelho do Amaral turned this field into garden, closing it with a balustrade, which has long since disappeared. Ordered the construction of a road between the harbor and the Mong Ha Siege. He resumed construction of the fort at Mong Ha, built Macau's first garden promenade, and ordered the construction of the lighthouse Guide there in 1865, the first ever built in Asia. He was further instrumental in resolving health problems throughout the territory.[1][2]

He was again named governor in Portuguese Angola, where he was in office from 1869 to 1870.[3][4][5]

His last governorship was as the governor of Mozambique, a post he was in from August 1870 to his death in December 1873.

Death and legacy

José Rodrigues Coelho do Amaral died in Mozambique on 14 December 1873.[6] He was sepulchered at the Capela de Nossa Senhora do Baluarte. After his death he received various honors and awards from both the Portuguese monarchy and the Qing ruling dynasty.

In Macau, there are various streets named after Coelho do Amaral, including one of the main roads in Taipa, the Estrada Coelho do Amaral. The Taipa Museum of History contains a portrait of the governor.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "José Rodrigues Coelho do Amaral: 1863–66". Macau Antigo (in Portuguese). 31 July 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  2. ^ 中国社会科学院近代史研究所翻译室 (1981). 近代来华外国人名辞典 (in Chinese). 中国社会科学出版社.
  3. ^ "Angola". rulers.org.
  4. ^ "Angola". worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  5. ^ Stewart, John (2006). African States and Rulers (3rd ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company.
  6. ^ "José Rodrigues Coelho do Amaral" (in Portuguese). Geneall.
Political offices
Preceded by
Miguel Ximenez Rodrigues Sandoval de Castro e Vargas

Governor of Angola

1854–1860
Succeeded by
Carlos Augusto Franco
Preceded by
Governor of Macau

1863–1866
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Francisco António Gonçalves Cardoso (Provisional)

Governor of Angola

1869–1870
Succeeded by
Joaquim José da Graça (Provisional)
José Maria da Ponte e Horta
  • v
  • t
  • e
Captains-major
  • Francisco Martins
  • Leonel de Sousa
  • Rui Barreto
  • Manuel de Mendonça
  • Fernão de Sousa
  • Pêro Barreto Rolim
  • Diogo Pereira
  • João Pedro Pereira
  • Simão de Mendonça
  • Tristão Vaz da Veiga
  • António de Sousa
  • Manuel Travassos
  • João de Almeida
  • António de Vilhena
  • Vasco Pereira
  • Domingos Monteiro
  • Leonel de Brito
  • Miguel da Gama
  • Inácio de Lima
  • Aires Gonçalves de Miranda
  • Francisco Pais
  • Jerónimo Pereira
  • Henrique da Costa
  • Roque de Melo Pereira
  • Gaspar Pinto da Rocha
  • Manuel de Miranda
  • Rui Mendes de Figueiredo
  • Nuno de Mendonça
  • Paulo de Portugal
  • Gonçalo Rodrigues de Sousa
  • João Caiado de Gamboa
  • Diogo de Vasconcelos de Meneses
  • André Pessoa
  • Pedro Martim Gaio
  • Miguel de Sousa Pimentel
  • João Serrão da Cunha
  • Martim da Cunha
  • Francisco Lopes Carrasco
  • Lopo Sarmento de Carvalho
  • António de Oliveira de Morais
  • Jerónimo de Macedo de Carvalho
Flag of the Governor of Macau
Governors
17th century
  • Francisco Mascarenhas
  • Filipe Lobo & Jerónimo da Silveira
  • Manuel da Câmara de Noronha
  • Domingos da Câmara de Noronha
  • Sebastião Lobo da Silveira
  • Luís de Carvalho e Sousa
  • João Pereira
  • João de Sousa Pereira
  • Manuel Tavares Bocarro
  • Manuel Borges da Silva
  • Álvaro da Silva
  • Manuel Borges da Silva
  • António Barbosa Lobo
  • António de Castro Sande
  • Luís de Melo Sampaio
  • Belchior do Amaral de Meneses
  • António de Mesquita Pimentel
  • André Coelho Vieira
  • Francisco da Costa
  • António da Silva e Melo
  • Gil Vaz Lobo Freire
  • Cosme Rodrigues de Carvalho e Sousa
  • Pedro Vaz de Sequeira
18th century
  • Diogo de Melo Sampaio
  • Pedro Vaz de Sequeira
  • José da Gama Machado
  • Diogo do Pinho Teixeira
  • Francisco de Melo e Castro
  • António de Sequeira de Noronha
  • Francisco de Alarcão Sotto-Maior
  • António de Albuquerque Coelho
  • António da Silva Telo e Meneses
  • Cristóvão de Severim Manuel
  • António Carneiro de Alcáçova
  • António Moniz Barreto
  • António de Amaral Meneses
  • João do Casal
  • Cosme Damião Pinto Pereira
  • Diogo Pereira
  • António de Mendonça Corte-Real
  • José Plácido de Matos Saraiva
  • Diogo Fernandes Salema e Saldanha
  • Rodrigo de Castro
  • Francisco António Pereira Coutinho
  • Diogo Pereira de Castro
  • António de Mendonça Corte-Real
  • José Plácido de Matos Saraiva
  • Diogo Fernandes Salema e Saldanha
  • Rodrigo de Castro
  • Diogo Fernandes Salema e Saldanha
  • Alexandre da Silva Pedrosa Guimarães
  • José Vicente da Silveira Meneses
  • António José da Costa
  • Francisco de Castro
  • Bernardo Aleixo de Lemos e Faria
  • Francisco Xavier de Mendonça Corte-Real
  • Lázaro da Silva Ferreira & Manuel António Costa Ferreira
  • Vasco Luís Carneiro de Sousa e Faro
  • José Manuel Pinto
  • Cristóvão Pereira de Castro
19th century
20th century