The favour of the Zamorin, or native ruler of the place, he was able to establish, between the Indian states and his ownĬountry, a series of friendly relations for trade and commerce, which proved of the greatest importance to Portugal. Rounding the Cape of Good Hope, arrived on May 20, 1498, at Calicut in Malabar, on the southeast coast of India.

The command of a Portuguese fleet for an expedition to the East, set sail from Lisbon in the summer of 1497, and after This celebrated voyager, whom King Manuel of Portugal commissioned with The voyage which the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama made to India at the close of the fifteenth century hasįrequently been mentioned in the preceding volumes, especially in the sixth a brief selection from the contemporaryĪccounts of it may therefore be welcomed here. Chapter 6 – The Portuguese Navigator Vasco Da Gama at Calicut and His Reception by the Zamorin 1498 A.D. Home Top menu Table of Contents Previous: Chapter 5 Next: Chapter 7 Over time, his father was appointed to the position of Alcaide-Mor or Civil Governor of Sines, which allowed him to earn a minimal revenue from the taxes associated with soap making in Estremoz.Chapter 6 – The Portuguese Navigator Vasco Da Gama at Calicut and His Reception by the Zamorin His hometown of Sines was one of the few seaports situated on the Alentejo coast, which was mostly inhabited by fishermen and cottages furnished with red tile.Ĥ) Vasco da Gama’s father was named Estevao de Gama and during the 1460s, he served as a knight in the household of the Duke of Viseu, Dom Fernando. Some say that he was born in a house located close to the church of Nossa Senhora das Salas. De Gama was put into the position of Portuguese viceroy (the King’s representative in India) under the new King’s rule.ģ) It is believed that da Gama was born in either 1460 or 1469 on the southwest coast of Portugal. After the King’s death, King John III took the place of directing de Gama on his next exploits, including another adventure to India. He sent de Gama on an expedition to India (between 15) when he held the position of Admiral.

In this article, you will find 13 facts regarding the life and achievements of Vasco da Gama.ġ) At the time of Vasco da Gama’s main achievements, the public thought that it was nearly impossible to sail where he ventured because they believed that the Indian Ocean did not possess a connection to any other bodies of water of its kind.Ģ) Da Gama’s patron was King Manuel I of Portugal.

He also took the position of commander of the first ships to voyage directly from Europe to India. In the end, Vasco da Gama earned the title of one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery. When it comes to Portuguese explorers, does Vasco da Gama (~1460-1524) ring a bell? This man discovered an ocean route from Portugal to the East and participated in many journeys on the sea.

Vasco da gama facts