Brazilian nobility

Brazilian nobility refers to the titled nobles and fidalgo families acknowledged by the Kingdom of Brazil and then by the Empire of Brazil dating back to early 19th century Colonial Brazil with Portuguese noble titles.

According to the Brazilian Constitution of 1824, the Emperor conferred titles of nobility, which were personal and therefore non-hereditary, unlike the former Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian titles.

After Brazil became a republic in 1889, the new constitution banned the use of noble titles and all titles were abolished.

Brazilian nobility originated from the Portuguese nobility, during the time of colonial Brazil. The noble titles were a sign of political power among the elite. Some of the nobles were members of Portuguese noble lineages and even of the high nobility, especially the families that arrived during the first centuries of the colonization of Bahia, Sergipe, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

The elevation of Brazil to the status of Kingdom, under the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, in 1815, led to the creation of the first Brazilian noble titles. With the Independence of Brazil from Portugal in 1822, the Empire of Brazil established its own nobility. It consisted of the titles of Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount and Baron. Unlike most systems of nobility, the Brazilian nobility was not hereditary: a title died with its holder.

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