Vasco de Gama

Vasco de Gama
Who is Vasco de Gama

Vasco da Gama, is a Portuguese navigator.
His voyages to India opened up the sea route
from western Europe to the East ,by way of
the Cape of Good Hope on the coast of south
Africa.
The famed bridge named in his honour in
Lisbon, the “Vasco da Gama Bridge” that
crosses over the Tagus River estuary. It spans
17.2 km and was the longest bridge in
Europe at the time of its completion in 1998.
What did he do
Vasco da Gama was best known for being the
first to sail from Europe to India by rounding
Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
Over the course of two voyages, beginning in
1497 and 1502, Vasco da Gama landed and
traded in locales along the coast of southern
Africa.
He reached India on May 20, 1498.
His life
Vasco Da Gama was the third son of Estêvão da
Gama, who was commander of the fortress of
Sines on the coast of Alentejo province in
southwestern Portugal.
Little is known of his early life. In 1495 King
Manuel ascended to the throne. The balance of
power between factions at the Portuguese court
shifted in favour of friends and patrons of the
da Gama family.
Simultaneously, a neglected project was
revived: to send a Portuguese fleet to India to
open the sea route to Asia and to outflank the
Muslims, who had hitherto enjoyed a monopoly
of trade with India and other eastern states.
For unknown reasons, da Gama, who had little
relevant experience, was appointed to lead the
expedition.
His fleet
Vasco Da Gama sailed from Lisbon on July
8, 1497.
With a fleet of 4 vessels 2 medium-sized
sailing ships, each of about 120 tons, named
the “São Gabriel” and the “São Rafael”; a
50-ton caravel, named the “Berrio”; and a
200-ton storeship.
With da Gama’s fleet went three interpreters
—two Arabic speakers and one who spoke
several Bantu dialects.
The fleet also carried stone pillars to set up
as marks of discovery.
His voyage to India
The expedition reached Kenya on April 7 and docked in Malindi also now
in Kenya.
On April 14, where a Gujarati pilot who knew the route to Calicut, on the
southwest coast of India, was taken aboard.
After a 23-day journey across the Indian Ocean, the Ghats Mountains of
India were sighted, and Calicut (capital of Indian trade at the time) was
reached on May 20.
There da Gama placed on of the stone pillars to prove he had reached
India.
On arrival the ruler of Calicut at the time(his name was Zamorin)
welcomed them to India.
However he was dispelled by da Gama’s insignificant gifts and rude
behaviour.
Da Gama failed to agree on a treaty mainly because of the hostility of
Muslim merchants. The Portuguese had mistakenly believed the Hindus
to be Christians.
His return to Portugal
After tension increased between Vasco and the natives, Vasco da
Gama left at the end of August.
He took with him five or six Hindus so that King Manuel of
Portugal might learn about their customs.
Ignorance to local knowledge had led da Gama to choose the worst
possible time of year for his departure.
He had to sail against the monsoon (the monsoon is when the sea is
most disturbed due to weather patterns all the floods and or
hurricanes happen in this time period).
Many of the crew died of scurvy(a disease similar to smallpox but
worse due to le lack of medicinal knowledge at the time).
He reached Mozambique on February 1, where he set up his last
large stone pillar.
On March 20 the “São Gabriel” and “Berrio” rounded the country
of south Africa together but a month later were parted by a storm.
The “Berrio” reached the Tagus River in Portugal on July 10. Vasco
Da Gama, in the “São Gabriel reached Lisbon on September 9 and
made his triumphal entry nine days later.
He spent the time in between mourning his brother Paulo, who had
died out at sea. Out of da Gama’s original crew of 170, only 55
men had survived.
His death
In his time he made three voyages to India
by ship before passing away.
Arriving in Goa in September 1524, da
Gama immediately set himself to correct the
many administrative abuses that had crept in
under his predecessors.
Whether from overwork or other causes, he
soon fell ill and died in Cochin in December.
In 1538 his body was taken back to Portugal.
Thank you for listening
MLA9 citations
Encyclopædia , Britannica. “Vasco Da Gama.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia
Britannica, Inc., 7 Apr. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vasco-da-Gama.

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Who is Vasco de Gama

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