The brave navigator Vasco da Gama. What Vasco da Gama discovered: the traveler’s sea route
Name: Vasco da Gama
State: Portugal
Scope of activity: Traveler
Greatest Achievement: Opened a trade sea route from Europe to India
She gave the world many people - pioneers, brave men, who were not afraid to challenge nature itself in pursuit of new lands and glory. Many found their demise in the depths of the ocean, some were a little more “lucky” - they died on land at the hands of local tribes. But still, the names of travelers who wrote their name in the history and geography of countries have reached us. One of them is the famous traveler Vasco da Gama. It's about him we'll talk in this article.
Biography of Vasco Da Gama
The future navigator was born into a noble family in 1460 in Sines, Portugal. There were five sons in the family, Vasco was the third. His father held the position of alkaid - in those days this meant the position of commandant of the fortress.
Very little is known about him early years. As a young man, he joined the navy, where he received his first knowledge of mathematics, navigation and orienteering. From a young age he had the opportunity to participate in naval battles, and not against anyone, but the French corsairs themselves. Vasco showed himself with best side, and they started talking about him. In 1495, King Manuel took the throne and the country returned to where it started - finding a route to India. And this task was one of the most important - after all, Portugal was located away from trade routes, so it was necessary to somehow declare itself. An important breakthrough was achieved in 1487 when he rounded south africa. This journey was significant; it proved for the first time that the Atlantic and Indian oceans are connected. It was necessary to send the expedition again. And young Da Gama was perfectly suited for these purposes.
Travels of Vasco da Gama
Historians know little about why da Gama, a still inexperienced explorer, was chosen to lead an expedition to India in 1497 to find a sea route to India and the East. To travel, da Gama sent his four ships south, taking advantage of the prevailing winds along the African coast. After several months of sailing, he rounded the Cape of Good Hope and began his journey up the east coast of Africa, to the uncharted waters of the Indian Ocean. By January, as the fleet approached what is now known as Mozambique, many of the crew were sick with scurvy. Da Gama was forced to interrupt the journey to rest the crew and repair the ships.
After a month of forced downtime, the ships set off again, and by April they reached Kenya. Then the Portuguese reached Calcutta through the Indian Ocean. Da Gama was not familiar with the region, did not know the customs and traditions of the local residents - he was sure that they were Christians, just like the Portuguese. None of the Europeans knew about such a religion as Hinduism.
However, the local ruler initially welcomed da Gama and his men, and the crew rested in Calcutta for three months. But not everyone welcomed the new arrivals - Muslim traders were among the first to show hostility to the Portuguese, because they had taken away their ability to trade and sell goods. In the end, Da Gama and his team were forced to haggle on the embankment to ensure enough goods to return home. In August 1498, Da Gama and his men took to the sea again, beginning their journey back to Portugal. The return journey was fraught with difficulties - gusty winds, downpours and rains prevented fast sailing. By early 1499, several crew members had died of scurvy. The first ship did not reach Portugal until July 10, almost a year after they left India. The results were dramatic - da Gama's first voyage covered almost 24,000 miles in almost two years, and only 54 of the 170 crew members survived.
When da Gama returned to Lisbon, he was greeted as a hero. The Portuguese were in high spirits, and it was decided to reassemble the expedition to consolidate da Gama’s success. Another group of ships is sent, led by Pedro Alvares Cabral. The crew reached India in just six months, and the journey included a shootout with traders, where Cabral's crew killed 600 people on Muslim cargo ships. But there were also benefits from this voyage - Cabral created the first Portuguese trading post in India.
In 1502, Vasco da Gama led another voyage to India, the fleet already consisted of 20 ships. Ten ships were under his direct command, and the rest were at the helm of his uncle and nephew. Following Cabral's success and the battles, the king tasked da Gama with ensuring continued Portuguese dominance in the region. Having devastated and plundered the African coast, from there they moved to the city of Cochin, south of Calcutta, where da Gama entered into an alliance with the local ruler and stayed to rest. The travelers returned to Portugal only on October 11, 1503.
Last years of life
Married at this time and the father of six sons, Da Gama decided not to tempt fate and retired.
He maintained contact with King Manuel, advising him on Indian matters, for which he was given the title of Count of Vidigueira in 1519.
After the death of King Manuel, da Gama was asked to return to India to fight the growing corruption by Portuguese officials in the country. In 1524, King Joan III appointed da Gama as Portuguese viceroy in India.
But Vasco was no longer interested in India as much as he had once made his discovery, opened a sea route to this country for Portugal, consolidating his dominance there.
However, he obeyed the king’s order and went to India to fulfill the order. But, unfortunately, he did not last long - on December 24, 1524, the sailing legend died of malaria in Cochin. His body was sent back to Portugal and buried there in 1538.
For those who love geography, world history, or are interested in the biography of great people, the discoverer of the Sea Route is one of the iconic figures. Brief biography traveler and the history of an important expedition for all of Eurasia will help you get to know the one who discovered the sea route to India better.
Vasco da Gama - short biography
The history of the Portuguese navigator began in 1460 in Sines (Portugal), where he was born. His origin is attributed to a noble family, evidence of this is the prefix “yes” in his name. The father was the knight Esteva, and the mother was Isabel. Thanks to his difficult origins, the future navigator Vasco da Gama was able to receive good education. He knew mathematics, navigation, astronomy, English. Then only these sciences were considered higher, and a person after training could be called educated.
Since all the men of that time became military men, this fate did not spare the future discoverer. In addition, the Portuguese knights were exclusively naval officers. From here is born great story the one who discovered India as a trading country with millions of different goods bringing huge profits. For those times it was a great event that changed the lives of many.
Discoveries in Geography
Before Vasco da Gama made the world-changing discovery of India, he distinguished himself for his military exploits. For example, in 1492, he freed a ship captured by French corsairs, which greatly pleased the king, and then became a close officer of the monarch. Thus, he had the opportunity to enjoy privileges that helped him further travel and discoveries, the most important of which was a visit to India. Summary The sea route will help you better understand what Vasco da Gama discovered.
The Journey of Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama's expedition to India was a truly big step for the whole of Europe. The idea of establishing trade relations with the country belonged to Emperor Manuel I, and he began to carefully choose a commander who could make such an important journey. He had to be not only a good naval officer, but also an excellent organizer. Bartolomeo Dias was the first to be chosen for this role, but everything turned out differently.
A fleet of 4 ships was created for the waters of Africa and the Indian Ocean, collected best cards and instruments for precise navigation. Peru Alenker, a man who had already sailed to the Cape of Good Hope, was appointed chief navigator, and this is the first part of the journey. The task of the expedition was to pave the way from Africa to India by sea. On the ships were a priest, an astronomer, a scribe and translators different languages. Everything was excellent with the food: even during preparation, the ships were filled with crackers, corned beef, and porridge. Water, fish and goodies were obtained during stops on different coasts.
On July 8, 1497, the expedition began its movement from Lisbon and set off on a long sea voyage along the coast of Europe and Africa. Already at the end of November, the team managed with difficulty to round the Cape of Good Hope and send their ships to the northeast, to India. On the way they met both friends and enemies, they had to fight back with bombards or, on the contrary, conclude agreements against their enemies. On May 20, 1498 the ships entered the first city of India, Calicut.
Discovery of the Vasco da Gama Sea Route
A real victory for the geography of that time was the discovery of the route to India by Vasco da Gama. When he returned to his native land in August 1499, he was greeted like a king - very solemnly. Since then, trips for Indian goods have become regular, and the famous navigator himself went there more than once. In addition, others began to believe that this could be the way to get to Australia. In India, the navigator was no longer a simple guest, but received a title and colonized some lands. For example, the popular resort of Goa remained a Portuguese colony until the mid-20th century.
Route on the map
If you examine Vasco da Gama's journey on the map, you can see all his stops on the way to India, of which there were many in Africa and Arab countries. It was not easy for all members of the expedition: some were sick, some were hungry, and the ships were constantly in need of repairs. The stops lasted for several days, and each time the team became smaller and smaller. As a result, out of 170 crew members, only 55 returned. At that time, this was very good, and goods from India brought in revenues 60 times more than was spent on the entire expedition.
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Vasco da Gama was born in 1469 in the city of Sines, into a noble family of a soldier who faithfully served King João II of Portugal. Vasco da Gama's career as an explorer began after the death of his father, who led an expedition planned to open a sea route to Asia.
flagship "San Gabriel"
Vasco da Gama took a crew of 170 people and set sail from Lisbon on July 7, 1497, with three ships " San Gabriel», « Berrio" And flagship "San Rafael". His task was to find a sea route to India to establish trade relations that would provide Portugal with cheap goods. At that time, goods from Asia entered the European market, thanks to merchants from Venice, Cairo and Alexandria via overland routes, which turned out to be expensive. Portugal needed its own way.
ship "Batavia"
ship "San Rafael"
The voyage to the Cape of Good Hope was safe. The sea was calm, and the wind was blowing in the direction the sailors needed. But as soon as we rounded Cape Verde, a hurricane of wind and rain hit. Only for a short time the storm subsided, and then began again. All this complicated the progress of the expedition. Provisions were running low and drinking water. Several sailors died from exhaustion. The crew began to demand that the ships be turned around and headed for Portugal. The exhausted but angry team mutinied. The sailors wanted to chain Vasco da Gama in chains, but he managed to break free and calm the rioters.
traveler Vasco da Gama
The ships stopped off the coast of East Africa near Mozambique to repair rigging and sails. There the team began its first trading relationships with local residents. But this did not last long, since due to the hostile attitude of the natives, there were attempts to seize the ships. In this regard, the expedition was forced to leave the coast. Soon May 20, 1498 Vasco da Gama finally arrived at the port of Calicut (now Kolkata). This is a city on the east coast of India, where trade of merchants from two continents - Africa and Hindustan - was concentrated. Vasco da Gama showed diplomatic abilities during negotiations with the Indian ruler Zatorin. After presenting gifts to the leader, attitudes towards travelers gradually began to change. In addition, goods purchased in Africa had virtually no value from local residents. Soon they began to show hostility. Vasco da Gama was imprisoned as a pirate. Barely escaped death penalty, he was able to collect a rich cargo consisting of precious stones, gold and coral. He finally agreed to conduct trade relations between the Zamorin people and the Portuguese (the ruler really liked the spices). Afterwards, the ships departed from the coast of India and headed for Portugal along the coast of Africa. Navigator gradually mapped the outlines of the continent.
return of sailors home
In September 1499, an expedition consisting of two ships and 55 exhausted crew arrived in the port of Lisbon. They were greeted as heroes. And indeed, in addition to the values that brought great income to the state’s economy, Vasco da Gama put more than 4,000 km of the African coast on the world map from the mouth of the Great Fish River to the port of Malindi, inscribing his name in world history as the discoverer of the maritime trade route from Europe to India.
The future great traveler Vasco da Gama was born in the Portuguese city of Sines. This happened around 1460, but the exact year of his birth is unknown.
His father was Estevan da Gama, commander of the fortress of Sines in the southwest of the country, and Vasco was the third son in big family. The biography of Vasco da Gama is silent about his childhood; it is only known that in his youth he joined the navy and there he learned to sail a ship. He became famous as a fearless and confident sailor.
In 1492, King John sent him to Lisbon and from there to the province of Algarve with orders to seize all French ships. This was retaliation for the French capture of a Portuguese ship.
In 1495, Manuel became the new king of Portugal, who was very interested in promoting trade in India. To do this, it was necessary to find a sea route there. At the time, Portugal was one of the most powerful maritime powers in Europe, competing with Spain and France for new lands.
Portugal owed these merits to Prince Henry the Navigator, who assembled a team of the best sailors, cartographers and geographers, and sent many ships to explore the western coast of Africa in order to increase the country's trading influence. His achievements in the field of exploration of the African coast are undeniable, but the eastern coast was still Terra Nova for European ships.
The breakthrough was achieved in 1487 by another daring Portuguese sailor, Bartolomeu Dias. He was the first European to circumnavigate Africa at the Cape of Good Hope and enter the Indian Ocean. Thus, it was proven that the Atlantic and Indian oceans are connected to each other. This discovery spurred the desire of the Portuguese monarch to build a sea route to India. However, he had more than just commercial intentions: Manuel was eager to conquer Islamic countries and proclaim himself king of Jerusalem.
Historians are still wondering why the king sent Vasco da Gama on such an important journey, because at that time there were more experienced navigators in the country. However, in 1497, four ships under the command of da Gama set out from their native shores to carry out a responsible mission. He directed the ships strictly south, unlike Columbus, who kept trying to turn east. A few months later, the ships safely rounded the Cape of Good Hope and moved along the east coast of Africa.
In January, when the flotilla reached the shores of what is now Mozambique, half the crew was suffering from scurvy. Da Gama was forced to anchor in these waters for a month to repair his ships and give his people a rest. Here the navigator tried to establish contact with the local sultan, but his gifts were rejected as too modest. In April they reached Kenya and from there moved into the Indian Ocean. Twenty-three days later, Calcutta appeared on the horizon.
Due to the fact that Da Gama did not know this area well, at first he thought that Christians lived in India. However, they spent three months in the country establishing trade relations. Muslim traders, of whom there were a lot in India, did not at all want to share with Christians, therefore, in order not to provoke a conflict, the Portuguese were forced to trade only in the coastal part of the city.
In August 1498, the ships set off on their return journey. The timing was unfortunate, as it coincided with the rainy season. By the end of the year, several crew members had died of scurvy. In order to somehow reduce costs, Da Gama ordered one of the ships to be burned, distributing the remaining people among other ships. Almost a year later they managed to return to Portugal. Of the 170 crew members, 54 survived. Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India made him a national hero.
The biography of Vasco da Gama includes another trip to India, in 1502, not so peaceful. King Manuel gave him command of 20 ships with orders to intimidate the Muslim population of Africa and strengthen Portuguese dominance there. To carry out the order, da Gama carried out the bloodiest raid of the Age of Discovery, sailing up and down the east coast of Africa, attacking ports and Muslim ships. He also distinguished himself by burning to the ground a ship carrying several hundred pilgrims returning from Mecca, sparing neither women nor children. Having reached Calcutta, da Gama's army destroyed the port and killed 38 hostages.
Vasco da Gama's travels were not peaceful, and until the end of his life he gained a reputation as a stern and incorruptible person.
Vasca da Gama(Vasco da Gama) - later Count Vidigueira, the famous Portuguese navigator. Born around 1469 in the seaside town of Sines, he was a descendant of an old noble family and from a young age enjoyed a reputation as a brave sailor.
Already in 1486, an expedition led by Bartolomeo Diaz discovered the southern tip, which Diaz called the Cape of Storms. King John II ordered the Cape of Storms to be called the Cape of Good Hope, since he believed that its discovery could lead to the discovery of a sea route to India, about which there were already rumors from pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, from merchants and from people who were sent by the king for reconnaissance.
Little by little, a plan matured to establish direct trade relations with: Indian goods had hitherto penetrated from Alexandria through Venice. King Emmanuel the Great equipped the squadron and entrusted its command to Vasco da Gama, with the authority to conclude alliances and treaties and purchase goods.
The flotilla consisted of 3 ships; there were only 170 crew and soldiers; the people chosen for this expedition were previously trained in various necessary crafts. The skippers were the same ones who accompanied Bartolomeo Diaz. For barter trade with the savages, a large supply of beads, mirrors, colored glass, etc. was taken, and more valuable gifts were taken for the elders. On July 7, 1497, with a huge crowd of people, the flotilla sailed from.
Everything went well until Cape Verde, but then unfavorable winds began to slow down the movement to the south, and a leak opened in the ships; the crew began to grumble and demanded to return to. Vasco insisted on continuing the voyage. On November 21, 1497, the expedition rounded the Cape of Good Hope and turned north. A strong storm broke out a second time; people suffered from fear and illness and conspired to chain Vasco da Gama, return to their homeland and confess to the king. Vasco da Gama found out about this and ordered the instigators of the conspiracy (including the skippers) to be shackled, threw the quadrants into the sea and declared that from now on God alone would be their skipper. At the sight of such energetic orders, the frightened team resigned themselves.
When the storm subsided, they made a stop to repair the ships, and it turned out that one of them had become completely unusable, so they had to burn it. The passing one carried the remaining ships north. On the Natal coast, the Portuguese saw the natives for the first time and exchanged gifts with them. A Moor who knew the way to India entered the service of Vasco da Gama; he brought a lot of benefit with his advice and guidance.
On March 1, 1498, he arrived in, where he established relations with the residents, at first very friendly; The sheikh of the local tribe agreed to conduct barter trade and provided pilots; but the Moors soon recognized the Portuguese as the same people who, for many years, opposite side Africa waged a merciless war against the Mohammedans. Religious fanaticism was joined by the fear of losing the monopoly of trade with India; The Moors tried to restore the sheikh against the Portuguese, who ordered his pilots to land the ships on the reefs. When this failed, they began to prevent Vasco da Gama from stocking up fresh water. These circumstances forced Vasco da Gama to leave the inhospitable shores.
In Mombasa (on the coast), as a result of the sheikh's warning, the Portuguese were given a reception similar to that of Mozambique; only in Melinda (3° south latitude) were the navigators warmly welcomed. After exchanging gifts, assurances of friendship, and mutual visits (Vasco da Gama himself dared to go ashore, which he did not do in other places), the Portuguese, having received a reliable pilot, set off further. On May 20, they saw Calicut (11°15` north latitude, on the Malabar coast), the center of trade for the entire eastern coast of Africa, Arabia, the Persian Gulf, etc. For several centuries the Moors were the real rulers of Hindustan; By humane treatment he managed to inspire the love of the natives and their kings.
The Calicut king considered it beneficial to form an alliance with the Europeans, who sent him magnificent gifts and began to purchase spices without haggling or considering quality; but the Moors, through slander and bribery of the king’s associates, tried in every possible way to denigrate the Europeans in his eyes. When they did not succeed, they tried to irritate him with repeated insults and even a two-day arrest of Vasco da Gama and force him to take up arms; but Vasco da Gama, feeling too weak to fight, endured everything and hurried to leave Calicut. The ruler of Kananara considered it best not to quarrel with the future rulers of India (an ancient prophecy spoke of conquerors from the West) and entered into an alliance with them.
After this, the flotilla set off on its way back, carefully exploring and mapping the outlines of the African coast; They rounded the Cape of Good Hope safely, but various difficulties began again, which Vasco da Gama’s brother, Paolo da Gama, who commanded one of the ships, could not bear; he was everyone's favorite, a real knight without fear or reproach. In September 1499, Vasco da Gama returned to Lisbon with 50 crew members and 2 dilapidated ships loaded with pepper and spices, the income from which more than covered all the expenses of the expedition.
King Emmanuel immediately (1500) sent to India, under the leadership of Pedro Alvarez Cabral, a second flotilla, already consisting of 13 sailing ships, with 1,500 crew, to found the Portuguese colonies. But the Portuguese, with their excessive greed, inept and inhumane treatment of the natives, aroused universal hatred; they refused to obey; In Calicut, about 40 Portuguese were killed and their trading post was destroyed.
Cabral returned in 1501. The monopoly of maritime trade with India made Lisbon an important city in a short time; it was necessary to keep it in their hands - so they hastily (in 1502) equipped a flotilla of 20 ships and subordinated it to Gama. He safely reached the eastern coast of Africa, concluded trade agreements with Mozambique and Sofala, and left factors there; in Quiloa, he lured the king onto the ship, with threats to take him prisoner and burn the city, forced him to recognize the protectorate of Portugal, pay an indemnity and build a fortress.
Approaching Hindustan, Vasco divided the fleet into several parts; several small ships were overtaken and plundered, several towns were bombarded and destroyed; one big ship, coming from Calicut, was boarded, plundered and sunk, and the people were massacred. Fear gripped the entire coast, everyone resigned themselves to a strong enemy; even the ruler of Calicut sent several times to ask for peace. But Vasco da Gama, gentle with submissive kings, pursued the enemies of Portugal with merciless cruelty and decided to avenge the death of his compatriots: he blocked the city, almost destroyed it by bombing, burned all the ships in the harbor and destroyed the fleet equipped to resist the Portuguese.
Having built a trading post-fortress in Cananara and leaving people and part of the fleet there with instructions to cruise near the coast and harm Calicut as much as possible, Vasco returned to his homeland on December 20, 1503 with 13 richly loaded ships. While Vasco da Gama enjoyed well-deserved peace in his homeland (although there is an indication that he was in charge of Indian affairs), five viceroys ruled one after another over the Portuguese possessions in India; The administration of the last of them, Edward da Menezes, was so unhappy that King John III decided to send Vasco da Gama again to the arena of his previous exploits.
The new viceroy set sail (1524) with 14 ships, a brilliant retinue, 200 guards and other attributes of power. In India, with firmness and persistence, he began to eradicate extortion, embezzlement, loose morals and careless attitude towards the interests of the state. To successfully fight against light Arab ships, he built several of the same type of ships, prohibited private individuals from trading without royal permission, and tried to attract as many benefits as possible more people on naval service. In the midst of this hectic activity, he fell ill and died on December 24, 1524 in Kohima. In 1538, his remains were transported to Portugal and solemnly interred in the town of Vidigeira.
Vasco da Gama was an honest and incorruptible man, combining determination with caution, but at the same time arrogant; sometimes cruel to the point of brutality. Purely practical goals, and not a thirst for knowledge, guided his discoveries. The history of his expeditions is told by Barros, Caspar Correa, Osorio (historian of Emmanuel the Great) and Castanleda. In the city of Goa in the 17th century a statue was erected to him; but the most lasting monument was erected to him by Camoes, in the epic “Louisiade.”
