Political Rise
His exact parentage is not known, but he might have been the son of the former tenente general Domingos da Costa (d. 1722). He appeared as tenente general in 1732, shortly after the conclusion of a treaty between the Topasses and the official Portuguese governor of Timor. There had been a state of intermittent warfare between the two Portuguese fractions since 1702, but during the time of Gaspar da Costa there was a lull in the hostilities. He supported the foundation of a priest seminar on Timor, but at the same time dominated large parts of Timor without caring about the governor. His main seat of residence was Animata in the present Oecussi-Ambeno enclave, close to Lifau at the north coast, where the governor resided. Animata was described as an extensive settlement with circa 1,800 houses.
Read more about this topic: Gaspar Da Costa
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