"These weren't impressive to local traders." "But when da Gama stopped at ports in Eastern Africa and offered these items for trade, people would laugh at him," says Nucup. Nucup says that da Gama was following the example of Columbus, who had won over native leaders with simple European goods like bells, flannel and metalwork. For that, he needed a knowledgeable local captain, who he hoped to recruit or kidnap from Eastern Africa.ĭa Gama's first major encounter with an African kingdom was in Mozambique, where he was poorly received, an experience that would be repeated throughout the first voyage.
But now came the real test, figuring out how to cross the sea to India. The expedition slowly worked its way around the stormy Cape and entered the Indian Ocean around Christmastime. Helena Bay, just 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of the Cape of Good Hope on November 7, nearly four months after leaving Portugal. The risky plan worked, and after 13 long weeks on the open water out of sight of land, da Gama landed in St. For the Portuguese, the pressure was high to stake their own claim to Oriental trade, so Manuel I, now king of Portugal, ordered a new expedition to India via the South African route, and in command of this mission wasn't Dias, but Vasco da Gama. In the meantime, Columbus - who learned his trade in Portugal - discovered what he believed to be a western route to the Indies (or possibly Japan) for Spain in 1492. Thinking it was hopeless, Portugal didn't attempt another southern run to India for 10 years. Nucup says that Dias didn't understand how the seasonal monsoons of the region worked, and that the winds actually switched directions for half the year. The winds and currents in the Indian Ocean blew northeast to southwest, making it all but impossible to cross the sea from Africa to India. In 1488, the Portuguese took the lead when Bartolomeu Dias successfully navigated around the Cape of Good Hope (Dias called it the "Cape of Storms") in modern-day South Africa and became the first European to reach the Indian Ocean.īut Dias returned with bad news for King João II of Portugal. In 1539, his body was taken back to Portugal for burial.In the 15th century, the Spanish and Portuguese were in a bitter race to find a sea route to India that bypassed the tortuously long and expensive overland trade route through unfriendly Ottoman and Egyptian territory. 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. The most important of these is a grant dated December 1519 by which Vasco da Gama was created count of Vidigueira, with the extraordinary privileges of civil and criminal jurisdiction and ecclesiastical patronage.īack in Portugal, da Gama was granted further privileges and revenues and continued to advise the king on Indian matters. Vasco Da Gama Timeline of EventsĪccording to Correa, he continued to advise King Emanuel I on matters connected with India and maritime policy up to 1505, and there are extant twelve documents dated 1507-22 which prove that he continued to enjoy the royal favor. He had married, probably in 1500, a lady of good family, named Catherina de Ataide, by whom he had six sons. Soon after his return da Gama retired to his residence in Evora, possibly from pique at not obtaining so high rewards as he expected, but more probably in order to enjoy the wealth and position which he had acquired for he was now one of the richest men in the kingdom.
His descent, according to the Nobiliario of Antonio de Lima, was derived from a noble family which is mentioned in the year 1166 but the line cannot be traced without interruption farther back than the year 1280, to one Alvaro da Gama, from whom was descended Estevão da Gama, civil governor of Sines, whose third son Vasco was born probably about the year 1460. Of da Gama’s early history little is known. Portuguese navigator and discoverer of the sea route to India, was born at Sines, a small seaport in the province of Alentejo. 1524 Died of malaria on final voyage to India.1503 Returns to Portugal and retires with honors.1502 Leads a fleet of 20 warships to India.1499 August: Two of da Gama’s ships return to Portugal-half of crew died en route.1497 July: Embarks on first voyage to India.1488 Bartholomew Diaz rounds the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.Fought against Ferdinand in Portuguese war against Castile.1460 Birth of Vasco da Gama in Portugal.