The Portuguese Royal House of Braganza began with John IV.
The Dukes of the House of Braganza were a branch of the House of Aviz created by Afonso V for his half-uncle Afonso, Count of Barcelos, illegitimate son of John I, first monarch of the House of Aviz.
The Braganzas soon became one of the most powerful families of the kingdom, and for the next decades married many Portuguese royal family members.
In 1565, John, 6th Duke of Braganza married Princess Catherine, granddaughter of King Manuel I. This connection with the Royal Family proved determinant in the rise of the House of Braganza to a Royal House.
Catherine was one of the strongest claimants of the throne during the dynastical crisis of 1580 but lost the struggle to her cousin Philip II of Spain.
Eventually Catherine's grandson became John IV of Portugal as he was held to be the legitimate heir.

John IV was a beloved monarch, a patron of fine art and music, and a proficient composer and writer on musical subjects.
He collected one of the largest libraries in the world (Madeira & Aguiar, 2003).
Among his writings is a defense of Palestrina and a Defense of Modern Music (Lisbon, 1649).
Abroad, the Dutch took Portuguese Malacca (January 1641) and the Sultan of Oman captured Muscat (1648).
By 1654, however, most of Brazil was back in Portuguese hands and had effectively ceased to be a viable Dutch colony.
John married his daughter Catherine of Braganza to Charles II of England, offering Tangiers and Bombay as a dowry.
John IV died in 1656 and was succeeded by his son Afonso VI.

Afonso VI became King of Portugal when he was thirteen years old.
The young king suffered from an illness that paralyzed the left side of his body and left him mentally unstable.
After a six-year regency of Luísa de Guzman, the Queen Mother, Afonso assumed the control of the country.
His reign was short due to a conspiracy of his wife, Queen Marie Françoise of Savoy, who joined with Afonso's brother, Prince Peter, to secure an annulment of her marriage to the king in 1667 based on his impotence.
Peter later married Marie Françoise.
In the same year, Peter managed to gain enough support to force the king to relinquish control of the government and to name him Prince Regent.

Peter continued as Prince Regent but de facto ruler of Portugal for the next 16 years.
When Afonso died in 1683, Peter succeeded him as Peter II of Portugal.
Peter II is considered the first absolutist monarch of Portugal.
 He dismissed the historic legislative Portuguese Cortes in 1697 and ruled alone.
He encouraged the focusing of Portuguese exploration of Brazil after silver was found in the territory.
Peter's reign also saw the signing of the Methuen Treaty of trade with England.

Peter was succeeded by his son John V in 1706.
An admirer of Louis XIV, John maintained a lavish court paid for by the riches of Brazil and ruled as an absolutist king, ignoring the Cortes (which had only convened sporadically since 1640) and personally appointing ministers.
His cognomens were "the Magnanimous", "the Magnificent" or "the Portuguese Sun-King" and he is perhaps the best example of an absolutist monarch in Portugal.
His long reign was characterized by a strengthening of the king's powers, made possible by the large revenues flowing to Portugal from Brazil.

John V used the crown's treasure to develop Portugal's weakened economy by creating new manufactures across the country; however, the majority of the investment was used to patronize the arts and intellectuals and regain Portugal's lost prestige among its European neighbors (Carmo Reis 1987).
His foreign policy followed two simple rules: political neutrality in European conflicts, and attempts to increase his prestige in Rome.
The title "Most Faithful Majesty" was eventually bestowed upon John V and his successors by a papal bull.

John V's last years of life were dedicated to devout acts and to subservience to the clergy (Madeira & Aguiar 2003).
His early economic measures, which were unpopular among the upper nobility (Mattoso Vol.
IV 1993), became ineffective and public affair
The Portuguese Royal House of Braganza began with John IV. The Dukes of the House of Braganza were a branch of the House of Aviz created by Afonso V for his half-uncle Afonso, Count of Barcelos, illegitimate son of John I, first monarch of the House of Aviz. The Braganzas soon became one of the most powerful families of the kingdom, and for the next decades married many Portuguese royal family members. In 1565, John, 6th Duke of Braganza married Princess Catherine, granddaughter of King Manuel I. This connection with the Royal Family proved determinant in the rise of the House of Braganza to a Royal House. Catherine was one of the strongest claimants of the throne during the dynastical crisis of 1580 but lost the struggle to her cousin Philip II of Spain. Eventually Catherine's grandson became John IV of Portugal as he was held to be the legitimate heir.
John IV was a beloved monarch, a patron of fine art and music, and a proficient composer and writer on musical subjects. He collected one of the largest libraries in the world (Madeira & Aguiar, 2003). Among his writings is a defense of Palestrina and a Defense of Modern Music (Lisbon, 1649). Abroad, the Dutch took Portuguese Malacca (January 1641) and the Sultan of Oman captured Muscat (1648). By 1654, however, most of Brazil was back in Portuguese hands and had effectively ceased to be a viable Dutch colony. John married his daughter Catherine of Braganza to Charles II of England, offering Tangiers and Bombay as a dowry. John IV died in 1656 and was succeeded by his son Afonso VI.
Afonso VI became King of Portugal when he was thirteen years old. The young king suffered from an illness that paralyzed the left side of his body and left him mentally unstable. After a six-year regency of Luísa de Guzman, the Queen Mother, Afonso assumed the control of the country. His reign was short due to a conspiracy of his wife, Queen Marie Françoise of Savoy, who joined with Afonso's brother, Prince Peter, to secure an annulment of her marriage to the king in 1667 based on his impotence. Peter later married Marie Françoise. In the same year, Peter managed to gain enough support to force the king to relinquish control of the government and to name him Prince Regent.
Peter continued as Prince Regent but de facto ruler of Portugal for the next 16 years. When Afonso died in 1683, Peter succeeded him as Peter II of Portugal. Peter II is considered the first absolutist monarch of Portugal.  He dismissed the historic legislative Portuguese Cortes in 1697 and ruled alone. He encouraged the focusing of Portuguese exploration of Brazil after silver was found in the territory. Peter's reign also saw the signing of the Methuen Treaty of trade with England.
Peter was succeeded by his son John V in 1706. An admirer of Louis XIV, John maintained a lavish court paid for by the riches of Brazil and ruled as an absolutist king, ignoring the Cortes (which had only convened sporadically since 1640) and personally appointing ministers. His cognomens were "the Magnanimous", "the Magnificent" or "the Portuguese Sun-King" and he is perhaps the best example of an absolutist monarch in Portugal. His long reign was characterized by a strengthening of the king's powers, made possible by the large revenues flowing to Portugal from Brazil.
John V used the crown's treasure to develop Portugal's weakened economy by creating new manufactures across the country; however, the majority of the investment was used to patronize the arts and intellectuals and regain Portugal's lost prestige among its European neighbors (Carmo Reis 1987). His foreign policy followed two simple rules: political neutrality in European conflicts, and attempts to increase his prestige in Rome. The title "Most Faithful Majesty" was eventually bestowed upon John V and his successors by a papal bull.
John V's last years of life were dedicated to devout acts and to subservience to the clergy (Madeira & Aguiar 2003). His early economic measures, which were unpopular among the upper nobility (Mattoso Vol. IV 1993), became ineffective and public affair
History of Portugal (1640–1777)