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There, he made an alliance with the local ruler, further securing Portugal’s position as a dominant spice trader.ĭa Gama left Cochin in February 1503. Once he had the Calicut ruler's surrender, da Gama went south to Cochin (known as Kochi today). There, da Gama destroyed the trading post and killed 38 hostages. His brutal practices continued once he reached Calicut. In one instance, he ordered the massacre of 380 people - including women and children - aboard a Muslim ship returning from Mecca.
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During his journey, da Gama slaughtered hundreds of Muslims, attacking ships and firing cannons at trading posts up and down the east African coast. Da Gama left Lisbon with 20 armed ships under his command. In 1502, King Manuel once again sent da Gama to India to further secure Portugal’s dominance in the region. Cabral established a trading post in Calicut, but conflicts with the local Muslims resulted in battles and the deaths of 70 Portuguese. The spice trade was hugely important for Portugal and soon after da Gama’s return, King Manuel dispatched another expedition to India, led by Pedro Alvares Cabral. He was made an admiral and married Catarina de Ataíde, a woman of a noble family. Though only 54 of the original 170-member crew returned to Portugal in 1499, da Gama received a hero’s welcome. Ultimately, it took da Gama’s fleet more than a year to return to their homeland after leaving India. Paulo died on the Azores and, after mourning on the island for some time, da Gama eventually returned to Portugal more than one month after the other ships had come back. Da Gama’s brother Paulo fell ill and da Gama took him to the Azores with hopes of healing him. The ships split up off the western coast of Africa, returning to Lisbon at different times. So many men died of scurvy during the crossing that da Gama ordered the St. The passage across the Indian Ocean - which had previously taken little more than three weeks - took more than three months. The ships encountered terrible storms during their journey. In August, after three months in India, da Gama’s fleet left Calicut - despite advice that monsoon season was approaching. Go here to watch a video about Vasco da Gama.A monument to Vasco da Gama stands in Lagos, Portugal. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page. His second son became governor of Portuguese India. His fleet on the second voyage consisted of 20 armed ships.There is a crater named Vasco da Gama on the Moon.Eventually, the command was given to his son Vasco instead. Originally Vasco's father, Estevao, was going to be given the command of the exploration fleet, but the trip was delayed for many years.However, he died of malaria shortly after arriving. On the third voyage Vasco was to take over as Viceroy of Portuguese India. The second voyage was more of a military expedition where he captured Arab ships and tried to show the might of the Portuguese navy. Vasco da Gama commanded two more fleets to India. He was also told to find any other trading opportunities along the way. Vasco da Gama was given a fleet of ships by the king and told to find a trade route around Africa to India. However, many were skeptical and thought that the Indian Ocean did not connect with the Atlantic Ocean. It was thought that there may be a way around the Cape and to the northeast towards India. The King of Portugal figured if he could find a way to get to India by sailing on the ocean, he would become rich trading spices in Europe.Īn explorer by the name of Bartolomeu Dias had discovered the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa. Spices from India were very popular in Europe, however, the only way to travel from Europe to India was over land. He followed in his father's footsteps and soon commanded ships in the king's name. Vasco da Gama was born in a small coastal town in Portugal named Sines. He led the first expedition that traveled from Europe to India by sailing around Africa. Vasco da Gama (1460 - 1524) was a Portuguese explorer. Best known for: The first European to sail from Europe to India around Africa.