 |
| VASCO DA GAMA |
VASCO DA GAMA, a Portuguese
was the first explorer and navigator to reach India from Europe by a sea route.
Da Gama was given birth to in Sines (Sines is a deep-water port used
for petroleum and natural gas imports in Portugal). He
joined the
Portuguese navy at a very young age and participated in wars.
Dagama and his
crew were selected by the Portuguese king at that time to find the sea route to
the Indies; they all left the shores of Portugal on July 8, 1497. Their first stop on
the high sea was in Cape-Verde, and then in November 1497 he reached the Cape
of Good Hope and also claimed the territory for Portugal. On the Christmas day
of 1497 he reached a coastline and named it Natal which in Portuguese language
means Christmas, till today that place in South Africa is still known by that
name. by the spring season of 1498 Da Gama reached the Indian ocean port cities
in Eastern Africa, though he encountered hostile Arab
Muslim traders who were afraid of losing their trade monopoly, he was welcomed
in Malindi which is now modern day Kenya.
After almost
11 months on the waters, Da Gama finally reached Calicut in India on May the 20th
1498 thereby setting the record of leading the first voyage from Europe
around Africa to the East. There he acquired a good number of spices and then returned
to Portugal through the same route he used while coming though his trip back
come was longer, he returned home on September 1499.
0 Comments