Marquis of Pombal

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo (1699-1782), Count of Oeiras and Marquês de Pombal, was Prime Minister of D. José I, still being considered at the present one of the most controversial and charismatic characters of the Portuguese History.

He was a notable statesman that left a mark on the 18^th century and on the royal absolutism through a policy of power concentration, aiming to restore the national economy and to withstand its strong dependency towards England.

A series of bad agricultural years and the earthquake of 1755 in Lisbon favoured his increasing personal influence. In the absence of innovative models, he resumed Colbert’s manufacturing policy, formerly implemented in Portugal, in the 17^th century by the Count of Ericeira, with the purpose of ensuring the national independence and as an economical support for war and expansion. The Marquis of Pombal assumed a national development project on a manufacturing basis that once again distinguished Covilhã, with the creation of the Royal Textile Factory.

This project was implemented by increasing the State intervention in controlling its development and started with the wool factories being the Royal Factory .a pioneer. It was in this context that several studies were carried out by the Commerce Board, as well as the “Pombaline Industrial Inquiries”, aiming to evaluate the state of the industry, to plan the type of intervention to be undertaken and to create a tax ad valorem, comprised by the donation or deposit of 4% upon the importations and intended to the reconstruction in Lisbon on account of the earthquake the city suffered, but also to be applied in financing the manufacturing instigation policy

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