Vasco da Gama | |
|---|---|
 Anonymous portrait, c. 1525 | |
| Viceroy of Portuguese India | |
| In office 5 September 1524 – 24 December 1524 | |
| Monarch | John III of Portugal |
| Preceded by | Duarte de Menezes |
| Succeeded by | Henrique de Meneses |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1460 Sines, Alentejo, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 24 December 1524 (aged approximately 55–65) Cochin, Kingdom of Cochin |
| Cause of death | Malaria |
| Resting place | Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon, Portugal |
| Spouse | Catarina de Ataíde |
| Children | Francisco da Gama, 2nd Count of Vidigueira Estêvão da Gama, Governor of Portuguese India Cristóvão da Gama, Captain of Malacca Among others |
| Parents |
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| Occupation | Explorer, Viceroy of India |
| Signature |  |
D. Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (/ˌvæsku də ˈɡɑːmə, - ˈɡæmə/ VAS-koo də GA(H)M-ə;[1][2] European Portuguese: [ˈvaʃku ðɐ ˈɣɐmɐ]; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and nobleman who was the first European to reach India by sea.[3]
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope[4] (1497–1499) was the first to link Europe and Asia by an ocean route, connecting the Atlantic and the Indian oceans. This was a milestone in Portuguese maritime exploration as and marked the beginning of a sea-based phase of globalization.[5] Da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India opened the way for an age of global imperialism and enabled the Portuguese to establish a long-lasting colonial empire along the way from Africa to Asia. Traveling the ocean route allowed the Portuguese to avoid sailing across the highly disputed Mediterranean Sea and traversing the dangerous Arabian Peninsula. The sum of the distances covered in the outward and return voyages made this expedition the longest ocean voyage ever made until then.[6]
After decades of sailors trying to reach the Indies, with thousands of lives and dozens of vessels lost in shipwrecks and attacks, da Gama landed at Kozhikode on 20 May 1498. Unopposed access to the Indian spice routes boosted the economy of the Portuguese Empire, which was previously based along North and coastal West Africa. The main spices at first obtained from Southeast Asia were pepper and cinnamon, but soon included other products, all new to Europe. Portugal maintained a commercial monopoly of these commodities for several decades. It was not until a century later that other European powers were able to challenge Portugal's monopoly and naval supremacy in the Cape Route.
Da Gama led two of the Portuguese India Armadas, the first and the fourth. The latter was the largest and departed for India three years after his return from the first one. For his contributions, in 1524 da Gama was appointed Governor of India, with the title of Viceroy, and was ennobled as Count of Vidigueira in 1519. He remains a leading figure in the history of exploration, and homages worldwide have celebrated his explorations and accomplishments. The Portuguese national epic poem, Os Lusíadas, was written in his honour by Luís de Camões.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
- ^ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
- ^ "Vasco da Gama | Biography, Achievements, Route, Map, Significance, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Vasco da Gama | Biography, Achievements, Route, Map, Significance, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ Nigel, Cliff (2011). Holy War: How Vasco da Gama's Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations. Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-173512-7.[page needed]
- ^ Diffie, Bailey W. and George D. Winius, Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415–1580, p. 176