Da Gama, Vasco << duh GAH muh, VAHSH koo >> (1469?-1524), was a Portuguese sea captain and explorer. He commanded the first fleet to reach India from Europe. Da Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to India in the late 1490’s. His voyage opened the first all-water trade route between Europe and Asia.
Early life.
Da Gama was born in Sines, Portugal. He probably attended school in the town of Évora. As a young man, da Gama learned astronomy and navigation. Da Gama became a naval officer in 1492 and commanded ships along the coast of Portugal.
Another Portuguese sea captain, Bartolomeu Dias, had discovered a route around the southern tip of Africa in 1488. He had sailed around the Cape of Good Hope. In 1497, King Manuel I of Portugal asked da Gama to find a sea route to India by sailing around Africa. The king wanted da Gama to establish trade with India. Da Gama’s father had been chosen to lead the expedition, but he died before the plans were completed.
Voyage to India.
Da Gama led a fleet of four ships: the Berrio, the Saint Gabriel, the Saint Raphael, and a supply ship. He had a total crew of about 170 men. His navigational equipment included compasses, an instrument called an astrolabe (see Astrolabe), and astronomical charts.
Da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, on July 8, 1497. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope on November 22, headed north, and stopped at trading centers that are now Moçambique, Mozambique; and Mombasa and Malindi, Kenya. Arab traders in Moçambique and Mombasa tried to seize their ships. However, the people at Malindi were friendlier and arranged for a guide to lead the fleet to India.
On May 20, 1498, da Gama reached Kozhikode (also known as Calicut), India. But the Indian ruler felt insulted because he thought the gifts da Gama had brought him were of little value. In addition, Muslim merchants controlled trade in Kozhikode and resented European interference in their business. They quarreled with the Portuguese, who were reluctant to pay the customary fees. In August 1498, da Gama sailed for home with only samples of Indian goods. Many of the sailors died of disease during the voyage, and only 55 survived. Da Gama arrived in Lisbon in September 1499. King Manuel rewarded him and gave him the title of Admiral of the Sea of India.
Later life.
The king sent another fleet to Kozhikode in 1500 to establish diplomatic relations. The Portuguese succeeded this time, and da Gama made a second voyage to India in 1502 to establish and expand trade there. He sailed from Lisbon with a fleet of 15 ships. Da Gama killed many innocent Indians and Muslims in revenge for violence against Portuguese sailors. Portugal soon became one of the most important trading and naval powers in the Indian Ocean.
After returning to Portugal in 1503, da Gama retired from the sea. In 1519, he was made Count of Vidigueira, which entitled him to collect taxes and rents in two Portuguese villages. In 1524, King John III named him viceroy of India. Da Gama sailed to India, where he died on December 25, 1524.
See also Exploration (The voyage around Africa); Natal.
