Much of that was due to Henry the Navigator, who, at his base in the southern region of the country, had brought together a team of knowledgeable mapmakers, geographers and navigators.
He dispatched ships to explore the western coast of Africa to expand Portugal's trade influence. He also believed that he could find and form an alliance with Prester John, who ruled over a Christian empire somewhere in Africa. Henry the Navigator never did locate Prester John, but his impact on Portuguese trade along Africa's east coast during his 40 years of explorative work was undeniable. Still, for all his work, the southern portion of Africa — what lay east — remained shrouded in mystery.
In , an important breakthrough was made when Bartolomeu Dias discovered the southern tip of Africa and rounded the Cape of Good Hope. This journey was significant; it proved, for the first time, that the Atlantic and Indian oceans were connected. The trip, in turn, sparked a renewed interest in seeking out a trade route to India. By the late s, however, King Manuel wasn't just thinking about commercial opportunities as he set his sights on the East.
In fact, his impetus for finding a route was driven less by a desire to secure for more lucrative trading grounds for his country, and more by a quest to conquer Islam and establish himself as the king of Jerusalem. Historians know little about why exactly da Gama, still an inexperienced explorer, was chosen to lead the expedition to India in On July 8 of that year, he captained a team of four vessels, including his flagship, the ton St. Gabriel , to find a sailing route to India and the East.
To embark on the journey, da Gama pointed his ships south, taking advantage of the prevailing winds along the coast of Africa. His choice of direction was also a bit of a rebuke to Christopher Columbus, who had believed he'd found a route to India by sailing east.
Following several months of sailing, he rounded the Cape of Good Hope and began making his way up the eastern coast of Africa, toward the uncharted waters of the Indian Ocean. By January, as the fleet neared what is now Mozambique, many of da Gama's crewmembers were sick with scurvy, forcing the expedition to anchor for rest and repairs for nearly one month. In early March of , da Gama and his crew dropped their anchors in the port of Mozambique, a Muslim city-state that sat on the outskirts of the east coast of Africa and was dominated by Muslim traders.
Here, da Gama was turned back by the ruling sultan, who felt offended by the explorer's modest gifts. By early April, the fleet reached what is now Kenya, before setting sail on a day run that would take them across the Indian Ocean.
They reached Calicut, India, on May But da Gama's own ignorance of the region, as well as his presumption that the residents were Christians, led to some confusion. The residents of Calicut were actually Hindu, a fact that was lost on da Gama and his crew, as they had not heard of the religion. Storms ripped through, the sailors were distraught and wanted to turn back but Vasco da Gama was determined to go on The ships had been greatly damaged by the storms.
There were leaks for which the sailors had to work hard, pumping out the water day and night. Vasco realized the need to repair the ships and since they were all in need of drinking water as well, he steered towards land. The Portuguese navigator sighted the coast of South Africa on Christmas Day in and so named the point of landing, Natalis — from the Portuguese word Natal for Christmas. It is interesting to note that in Indian languages like Hindi and Marathi the word Natal is used for Christmas even today.
Records claim that the Portuguese Commander, impersonated a Muslim to gain favour with the Emperor. He was however, unable to provide suitable gifts to the local ruler and was forced to flee, firing cannons into the city, on his way out.
He later sailed to Mombasa, now in Kenya and met the same fate. Records claim that the Portuguese Commander, impersonated a Muslim to gain favour with the Emperor Undeterred, Vasco da Gama continued north, landing at the port of Malindi, where he got a friendly welcome.
It was here that he came across Ibn Majid, an Arab navigator and cartographer, whose knowledge of the monsoon winds guided the expedition all the way to Calicut on the southwest coast of India. Here the navigator was received with traditional hospitality by Hindu King Manavikrama, famed across the trading world as the Zamorin of Calicut.
The fleet arrived in Kappakadavu near Calicut, India, on May 20, and was welcomed by the Zamorin of Calicut On reaching the court of Zamorin King Manavikrama, Vasco da Gama presented him with gifts, which were clearly recorded. A route to India. Da Gama was born in to a family of nobles in Sines, Portugal.
Last Updated: 9th January, Over the course of two voyages, beginning in and , da Gama landed and traded in locales along the coast of southern Africa before reaching India on May 20, Brittni Gutheinz Professional.
Who found India? Vasco Da Gama. Torben Martin Pozuelo Professional. Who Discovered India first? Vasco da Gama. Mofaddal Arnaus Professional.
What was Vasco da Gama looking? Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who sailed to India from Europe. Gold, spices, and other riches were valuable in Europe. But they had to navigate long ways over sea and land to reach them in Asia. Europeans during this time were looking to find a faster way to reach India by sailing around Africa.
Thais Bloder Explainer. Who discovered Brazil? Alastair Vartolomei Explainer. Who ruled Goa? Grettel Arkin Explainer. How old was Vasco da Gama when he died? Ayala Alliot Pundit. What kind of ship did Vasco da Gama use? Arancha Irmler Pundit. What was Vasco da Gama education? Vasco da Gama was born in into a large land owning family in the small fishing town of Sines. His parent's wealth was able to provide an extensive education and Vasco da Gama studied at the university Evora.
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