Many western sailors and merchants tried their hands at discovering a sea route to India, the land famous for spices, wealth and other riches. He is often credited for discovering the sea route from western Europe to the East by way of the Cape of Good Hope. He became the first European explorer that reached India via sea. After two years he set sail from Lisbon, da Gama arrived on the Western sea coast of India at Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala. In 1539, his body was taken back to Portugal for burial.On May 20, 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama stepped foot in India. Arriving in Cochin, he fell ill and died on 24 December 1524. After 20 years at home, in 1524, he was nominated as Portuguese viceroy in India and sent to deal with the mounting corruption among Portuguese authorities there. He forced the ruler of Calicut to make peace and, on his return voyage along the east African coast established Portuguese trading posts in what is now Mozambique.īack in Portugal, da Gama was granted further privileges and revenues and continued to advise the king on Indian matters. After hearing of the massacre of all those at the trading post, da Gama sailed for India again in 1502 attacking Arab Muslim ships he met on the way. The king immediately dispatched another expedition to secure a trading post at Calicut. This voyage launched the all-water route from Europe to Asia.ĭa Gama returned to Portugal. The expedition then rounded the Cape of Good and, after sailing up the coast of east Africa, took on an Arab navigator who helped them reach the Indian coast, at Calicut (now Kozhikode) in May 1498. This established a route still followed by sailing vessels.
Setting off in July 1497, da Gama's expedition took advantage of the prevailing winds by sailing south down the coast of Africa, then veering far out into the Atlantic and swinging back in an arc to arrive off the southern African coast. In 1497, he was appointed to command an expedition equipped by the Portuguese government, whose intention was to find a maritime route to the East. Vasco da Gama was born in about 1460 into a noble family.
© Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and navigator, and the first person to sail directly from Europe to India.
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