Follow Portuguese immigration and listen to Portuguese stories: Born in 1460, Vasco da Gama was a famous Portuguese explorer who opened a new sea route from Western Europe to India.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, Western Europe developed rapidly, and foreign trade exchanges began to flourish. Due to the vivid descriptions of China and India in The Travels of Marco Polo, Westerners believed that the East was filled with gold and treasures. However, the existing trade routes between the East and the West were controlled by the Arabs. To satisfy their greed for gold, European feudal lords, merchants, and explorers began to risk their lives sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to open new sea routes to the East.
In the summer of 1497, under the orders of the King of Portugal, da Gama led an expedition consisting of four ships, departing from a harbor south of Lisbon to begin the voyage to India.
The fleet was guided by Bartolomeu Dias, an explorer who had previously reached the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. After a full four months of sailing, they finally arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape was like a death trap; after enduring three days and nights of violent waves and storms, the fleet finally rounded the Cape and entered the Indian Ocean.
In April 1498, the expedition arrived in Malindi, Kenya. There, they obtained an experienced Arab navigator. Under his guidance, da Gama and his crew were able to safely cross the Indian Ocean, arriving at the major port of Kozhikode on the southwest coast of India on May 20.
As soon as da Gama and his men went ashore, they were stunned by the prosperity, wealth, and exotic scenery. When an Arab who spoke Portuguese told them that there were many rubies, emeralds, spices, and silks here, they were overjoyed! They exchanged goods and money brought from home for local products, gems, and spices from the Indians. The low prices made da Gama and his men extremely happy.
Da Gama erected a pillar in Kozhikode to demonstrate Portuguese authority, just as he had done with other pillars during his voyage, exposing his predatory colonialist nature. Arab merchants, who had long monopolized the trade there, viewed them as competitors and forced them to leave Kozhikode at the end of August.
On the return journey, without a guide, da Gama and his crew endured countless hardships. Scurvy spread among the crew, causing many to fall ill and die. Due to storms, the fleet was scattered. When da Gama led the fleet back to Lisbon in September 1499, less than half of the original crew remained.
The success of da Gama's maiden voyage to India caused the whole of Portugal to rejoice. The King was also extremely pleased, ordering that da Gama be granted a noble title and bestowing upon him significant wealth and land. Furthermore, the various treasures brought back from overseas were sold for a large sum, making everyone who returned alive from the fleet very wealthy.