Can portuguese history in the era of the house of avis be analysed without reference to overseas expansion?

Can Portuguese history in the era of the House of Avis be analysed without reference to overseas expansion? First of all, it is important to define the key terms and concepts we are using. What is an overseas expansion? In this case, it is the extension of a state’s sovereignty to territories that are beyond the sea. Naval access to any part of the world might seem easy today but we have to remember which period we are studying and try to understand how people might have seen the world at that time. To do so, you need to analyse the leaders that oversaw this project of oceanic conquest. What does the House of Avis refer to? It refers to the dynasty ruling Portugal from 1385 to the death of the cardinal Dom Henrique in 1580. It is a contentious period, including the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. When Dom Sebastião started his reign, he lived in a world totally different from the one João I saw when he obtained his throne. It is interesting to understand the causes of these changes; this is the reason why I will adopt a chronological and dynastic approach in this essay. I will divide my essay in two major parts. The first part, focusing on the period 1383-1455, will show how Portuguese history, in the beginning of this dynasty, can be analysed with only a minor reference to the overseas expansion. The second part, on the contrary, will demonstrate how oceanic conquest becomes, from 1455 to 1580, essential to analyse Portuguese history. Firstly, to analyse Portuguese history of 1383-1455 without referring to the oceanic expansion, I will focus mainly on the crisis of 1383-85, European diplomatic relations and the constant peninsular threat. In 1383 Dom Fernando dies. He only has an eleven years old daughter: Beatriz. To ensure that his daughter reign will be respected and as part of the peace treaty of Elvas (1382), Dom Fernando marries Beatriz to Dom João I of Castile: the Portuguese independence becomes uncertain. Portuguese diplomats then manage to