State of Maranhão and Piauí

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State of Maranhão and Piauí Estado do Maranhão e Piauí
1772–1775
Flag Coat of arms
Status	State of the Portuguese Empire
Capital	São Luís
Common languages	Portuguese
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Government	Monarchy
Monarch
• 1772–1775	Joseph I
Governor General
• 1772–1775	Joaquim de Mello e Póvoas
History
• Established	1772
• Disestablished	1775
Currency	Portuguese Real
Preceded by Succeeded by State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão State of Brazil

The State of Maranhão and Piauí (Portuguese: Estado do Maranhão e Piauí) was one of the states of the Portuguese Empire.

The state was created in 1772 by order of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, the Secretary of the State for Joseph I of Portugal.^[1]

The state was created because of the economic success of the State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão. Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo split that state into two states, the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro and the State of Maranhão and Piauí, thinking that this would cause even better economic conditions, though the state split would prove a failure.

In 1775, due to the failure of the new state, both the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro and the State of Maranhão and Piauí were merged into the State of Brazil, finally unifying Portuguese America into one colony.^[2][3][4]