Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama , legendary Portuguese seafarer discovered the sea route to
India in 1498 and set the stage for Goa's conquest for the next 450 years.
Early Years 
Vasco da Gama was born at Sines, Province of Alemtejo, Portugal, at around
1460. He was the third son of Estevão da Gama, who was Alcaide Moor
of Sines, and also the Commendatory of Cercal.
Not much is known about his early childhood. Like
his father, he too
served his King well, distinguishing himself when King John II of Portugal
sent him to the port of Setubal 1492 to retaliate against French ships
that encroached on Portuguese waters and shipping lanes.
It was around that time that much of the legwork to find a new sea route
to India was completed by Bartholomew Dias and Pedro Corvilhao who had not
only gone around the Cape of Good Hope but has sailed all the way to East
Africa. They had also met with Arab merchants who regularly traded with
India and learned of a sea route to India.
This set the stage for King John II to explore the possibility of the Portuguese
discovering a new sea route to India and thereby expand the trade that was
until then the monopoly of the Arab muslim traders. Vasco da Gama's father
Estevão da Gama was the chosen one to lead the expedition, but his
unexpected death led King John II nominating Vasco da Gama to lead the expedition.
King John II was succeeded by King Manuel in 1495 and he too approved his
nomination. In the summer of 1497, Vasco da Gama was granted an audience
with King Manuel at Monte Moro-O-Novo where he took an oath of Fealty to
the Portuguese crown and was presented with a silk banner displaying the
cross of the "Order of Christ". Vasco da Gama was not commissioned
to conquer new lands but rather to seek out Christian kingdoms in the East
and to secure for Portugal access to the greater markets of Asia.
The First Voyage
Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon on July 8, 1497, with a fleet of four ships,
namely the "São Gabriel" captained by him, the "São
Rafael" captained by his brother Paulo Gama, the "Berrio"
captained by Nicolau Coelho, and a store ship. They were accompanied to
the Cape Verde Islands by another ship commanded by Bartholomew Dias, the
Portuguese navigator who had discovered the Cape of Good Hope a few years
earlier. They passed the Canary Islands on July 15, and reached the Cape
Verde Islands on the 26th. They then reached St. Helena Bay on November
7th and finally rounded the Cape of Good Hope on November 22 1497. They
then sailed off the coast of Natal on Christmas Day 1497.
On January 25th, they reached the Quelimane River ( in today's Mozambique),
which they called the Rio dos Bons Sinais (the River of Good Omens). After
resting for a month, they set sail again and on March 2 reached the island
of Mozambique. They then sailed to Mombassa on April 7 and then to Malindi
on April 14 1498. There they picked up Ibn Majid, an Arab sea master who
knew the route to Calicut. With his help, after 23 days of non stop sailing
the Indian Ocean, they finally sighted the the mountains along the coast
of India (western ghats).
They finally reached Calicut on May 20 1498. At Calicut, Vasco da Gama
was welcomed by the Zamorin, the Hindu ruler, of Calicut ( then the most
important trading center of southern India). He failed however, to conclude
a treaty for initiating trade there. Very soon, tension between Vasco
da Gama, his men, and the Zamorin of Calicut increased, resulting in Vasco
da Gama leaving Calicut at the end of August. On his return leg of the
journey, He visited Anjidiv Island (near Goa) before sailing for Malindi,
which he reached on Jan. 8, 1499, and Mozambique on February 1499. On
March 20 the "São Gabriel" and "Berrio" rounded
the Cape together and the "Berrio" finally reached the Tagus
River in Portugal on July 10. Vasco da Gama, in the "São Gabriel,"
continued to Terceira Island in the Azores. His brother Paulo died there.
He then continued ahead and reached Lisbon on September 9 1499. A brilliant
reception greeted him at Lisbon. King Manuel I granted Vasco da Gama the
title of Dom , an annual pension of 1,000 cruzados, and also made him
Admiral of the Indian Ocean. He was also assured feudal rights over Sines.
The Second Voyage
In January 1502 Vasco da Gama was sent on his second voyage to India with
a fleet of twenty ships of which he himself commanded 10, and was supported
by two flotillas of five ships each, each flotilla being under the command
of his uncle Vincente Sodre and nephew Estevao. Sailing in February 1502,
the fleet called at the Cape Verdes, reaching the port of Sofala in East
Africa on June 14. After calling briefly at Mozambique, the Portuguese fleet
sailed to Kilwa, (today's Tanzania).
Then coasting southern Arabia, they reached Goa before proceeding to Cannanore,
a port in southwestern India, north of Calicut. There they lay in wait for
Arab ships to plunder. After several days finally an Arab ship did arrive
with merchandise which they looted and then killing all passengers on board
set it on fire. Later on Vasco da Gama formed an alliance with the ruler
of Cannanore, an enemy of the Zamorin. He then set sail for to Calicut.
He bombarded the port of Calicut and laid siege to the city.
Unable to subdue the Zamorin's forces, he then sailed south to the port
of Cochin. The King of Cochin was also an enemy of the Zamorin and Vasco
da Gama exploited this situation by forming an alliance with him. On February
20 1503, the fleet left Cannanore for Mozambique reaching the shores of
Portugal on October 11 1503. It is reported that the value of his loot amounted
to about a million in gold and he was again honored. In 1519, the previous
order granting him the feudal rights to Sines was transferred to the Order
of Santiago. Vasco da Gama was instead given the title of the Count of Vidigueira
and the feudal rights and jurisdiction of the cities of Vidigueira and Villa
dos Frades. He then settled down to domestic life with his wife, Caterina
de Ataíde and settled in the town of Evora. He also fathered six
children.
The Final Voyage
In 1524 he was nominated as Portuguese viceroy in India by the new King
of Portugal, King John III. He arrived in Goa in September 1524. He immediately
immersed himself in administration and began rectifying policies set by
his
predecessor, Viceroy Eduardo de Menezes. Within three months of becoming
the Viceroy, he fell ill and died in Cochin on December 1524.
He was buried at the Franciscan church there. In 1538 his remains was taken
back to Portugal and taken to Vidigueira where they were buried for over
three centuries at the Convent of Our Lady of Relics. In 1880, together
with the remains of poet Luis Camoes, they were moved to the Monastery of
Jeronimos. There, their tombs sculpted by Costa Mota (uncle), are placed
in the lower choir of the church. Here they rest finally amidst kings.
Vasco da Gama Tourism Reservation Form
