Cristóvão Aires was devoted to journalism and was a member of the editorial staff of the Jornal do Comércio e das Colónias [ Journal of Commerce and the Colonies ] , of which he was to be director for many years. Recalling his origins, he defined his background : “ Indian by birth, I love India as my cradle; Portuguese by blood, I bear the surname of one of the heroes of the great epic poem of our race.”

The printed work left by th is historian covers almost every branch of literature , and he collaborated with various literary magazines. Poet of the Indianas and the Novos Horizontes , he was a short story writer in his Longínquas . He revealed himself , instead, as a valuable essayist in his História do Exército [History of the Army] , where he stood out as a conscientious and impartial historian. Cristóvão Aires combined his critical spirit with the quality of an indefatigable researcher. The volumes of Provas that document his História are valuable sources for today ’ s researchers. However, we must emphasise the absence of indexes, which would facilitate and enhance the consultation of this critical study.

The term organic history that appears in his work ( História Orgânica e Política do Exército Português [ Organic and Political History of the Portuguese Army ] ) was proposed by a government authority – the President of the Cabinet, Serpa Pimentel (who was also Minister of War) who, in a m inisterial order published in a rmy o rder No. 18 of 10 May 1890, alluded to it. The ministerial order stated the need for a “ written history of its glorious deeds, its organisation, its effective and brilliant mission in the material an d moral progress of the country” and, for this reason, the initiative to “ draw up a military history of the country” was taken . Therefore, the author ’ s concept of military history refers to an organic and civilisational history of nations, countries, states , or human development. He , thus , conceptualised military history as a sector of historical science in its global sense, associated with other branches of history, namely economic, social, religious and cultural. Therefore, it combines with a single history at the scientific level or, if we wish, is one of the sectors of a global whole .

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