▁Ele an or , ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Cr ato . ▁John ▁III ▁had ▁nine ▁children ▁from ▁that ▁marriage , ▁but ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁died ▁young . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁John ' s ▁death , ▁only ▁his ▁grand son ▁Sebastian ▁was ▁alive ▁to ▁inherit ▁the ▁crown . ▁ ▁Policy ▁ ▁The ▁large ▁and ▁far - fl ung ▁Portuguese ▁Empire ▁was ▁difficult ▁and ▁expensive ▁to ▁admin ister ▁and ▁was ▁bur den ed ▁with ▁huge ▁external ▁deb t ▁and ▁trade ▁def ic its . ▁Portugal ' s ▁Indian ▁and ▁Far ▁Eastern ▁interests ▁grew ▁increasing ly ▁cha otic ▁under ▁the ▁poor ▁administration ▁of ▁am bit ious ▁govern ors . ▁John ▁III ▁respond ed ▁with ▁new ▁appoint ments ▁that ▁proved ▁trouble d ▁and ▁short - l ived : ▁in ▁some ▁cases , ▁the ▁new ▁govern ors ▁even ▁had ▁to ▁fight ▁their ▁prede cess ors ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁their ▁appoint ments . ▁The ▁resulting ▁fail ures ▁in ▁administration ▁brought ▁on ▁a ▁grad ual ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁trade ▁mon opol y . ▁In ▁consideration ▁of ▁the ▁challeng ing ▁military ▁situation ▁faced ▁by ▁Portuguese ▁forces ▁world wide , ▁John ▁III ▁declared ▁every ▁male ▁subject ▁between ▁ 2 0 ▁and ▁ 6 5 ▁years ▁old ▁rec ru itable ▁for ▁military ▁service ▁on ▁ 7 ▁August ▁ 1 5 4 9 . ▁ ▁Among ▁John ▁III ' s ▁many ▁colonial ▁govern ors ▁in ▁Asia ▁were ▁Vas co ▁da ▁G ama , ▁Pedro ▁Mas car en has , ▁L opo ▁V az ▁de ▁S ampa io , ▁N uno ▁da