▁changed . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Go a , ▁they ▁established ▁themselves ▁in ▁C ey lon ▁( in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Sri ▁L anka ) ▁through ▁the ▁con quest ▁of ▁several ▁C ey lon ese ▁kingdom s ▁in ▁the ▁six teenth ▁century . ▁Portuguese ▁C ey lon ▁remained ▁in ▁Portuguese ▁hands ▁until ▁ 1 6 5 8 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁after ▁an ▁ep ic ▁sie ge . ▁ ▁Portuguese ▁America ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁John ▁III , ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁Empire ▁established ▁itself ▁in ▁South ▁America ▁with ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁twelve ▁Captain cy ▁Col on ies ▁of ▁Brazil ▁( from ▁ 1 5 3 4 ▁on wards ). ▁Each ▁with ▁its ▁own ▁don at ary ▁captain , ▁the ▁twelve ▁colon ies ▁strugg led ▁independently . ▁In ▁ 1 5 4 9 , ▁John ▁III ▁established ▁the ▁Governor ate ▁General ▁of ▁Brazil , ▁and ▁the ▁twelve ▁captain cy ▁colon ies ▁became ▁sub ordinate ▁to ▁it . ▁The ▁first ▁Governor - General ▁appointed ▁by ▁John ▁III , ▁Tom é ▁de ▁S ous a , ▁founded ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Salvador , ▁Bah ia ▁( S ão ▁Salvador ▁da ▁Bah ia ▁de ▁Tod os ▁os ▁Santos ) ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 9 . ▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁following ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁Brazil ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁imported ▁bra zil wood , ▁Indian ▁slaves ▁and ▁ex otic ▁birds ▁from ▁there . ▁Brazil wood ▁was ▁a ▁much ▁appreciated ▁product ▁in ▁Europe , ▁because ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁used