Recipient of a capitanía (captaincy), which was both a territorial division and a royal land grant in Portugal's colonies.
The system was introduced to Brazil in 1533 by King John III in order to consolidate Portuguese power in the colony. Each donatário received a portion of land and was charged with recruiting and protecting settlers and promoting agriculture and commerce. At one time Brazil's viability as a colony depended on the success of the donatários , but by 1754 all the captaincies had been abolished.