Vasco da Gama opening. Vasco da Gama - First voyage from Europe to India

Vasco da Gama was a navigator who opened the route to India. He was born in 1469 in the small Portuguese town of Sines, but not much information exists about his early years. He gained good knowledge in mathematics, astronomy and navigation. His father was a sailor. Vasco was from an early age tied to the sea and often took part in battles on the water. His life was eventful, and in my report I will talk about the biography of the famous discoverer.

First trip

The Portuguese government decided to get serious about establishing trade links with India, but to do this it was necessary to find a sea route there. Columbus already tried to find him, but his discovery turned out to be false. Brazil mistakenly became India for Columbus.

Vasco da Gama set out in search of a route to India with a crew of four ships.

At first, his ships were carried by the current to Brazil, but Vasco did not repeat the mistake and found the right course.

The expedition took a long time. Ships We were on the road for several months. The ships crossed the equator. They walked towards the south pole along the coast of Africa and rounded it through the Cape of Good Hope.

Finding themselves in the waters of the Indian Ocean, the ships, after some time, made a stop in the African country of Mozambique. Vasco is here I decided to take a guide with me. It was an Arab traveler who was well versed in the nearby waters and territories. It was he who helped the expedition complete its journey and led it straight to the Hindustan Peninsula. The captain stopped the ships at Calicut (now called Kozhikode).

At first, the sailors were greeted with honor and taken to court. Vasco da Gama agreed with the rulers to establish trade in their city. But others traders close to the court said that they did not trust the Portuguese. The goods brought by the expedition sold very poorly. This led to disputes between the sailors and the city government. As a result, Vasco's ships sailed back to their homeland.

Way home

The return journey turned out to be difficult for the entire crew. The sailors had to fight pirates several times to protect themselves and their goods. They brought home spices, copper, mercury, jewelry, and amber. Many people from the ship's crews began to get sick and die. It was necessary to make a short stop in Malindi, a port city located in Kenya. The travelers were able to relax and gain strength. Da Gama was very grateful to the local sheikh, who warmly received them and provided assistance. The journey home took more than 8 months. During this time part of the crew and one ship were lost. They decided to burn it because the remaining sailors could not cope with control and simply moved to other ships.

Despite the fact that the trade did not work out, the expedition paid for itself with the proceeds received in India. The trip was considered successful for which the expedition leader received an honorary title and a monetary reward.

The opening of a sea route to India provided the opportunity to constantly send ships with goods there, which the Portuguese began to do regularly.

Subsequent visits to India

After some time, the Portuguese authorities decided to send several ships to India to subjugate the country. Vasco da Gama was also on the team. The Portuguese attacked several Indian cities on the ocean: Honor, Miri and Calicut. This reaction was caused by the disagreement of the Calicut authorities to the creation of a trading post. Factories were trading settlements founded by foreign traders in a city. The team treated the locals harshly and captured a large amount of booty.

For the third time, Vasco went to India to deal with the administration of the Portuguese colonies in Africa and India. There were suspicions that the management team abused their position. But this trip turned out to be less successful for the navigator. He contracted malaria and died. His body was brought home. He buried in Lisbon.

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“...If this situation had continued for another two weeks, there would have been no people left to control the ships. We have reached such a state that all bonds of discipline have disappeared. We prayed to the patron saints of our ships. The captains consulted and decided, if the wind allowed, to return back to India” (Diary of Vasco da Gama’s travels).

After Bartolomeu Dias discovered the route around Africa to the Indian Ocean (1488), the Portuguese found themselves one march away from the coveted land of spices. Confidence in this was reinforced by evidence obtained through the research of Perud Covilhã and Afonso de Paiva of the existence of maritime communication between East Africa and India (1490-1491). However, for some reason the Portuguese were in no hurry to make this very throw.

A little earlier, in 1483, Christopher Columbus offered King João II of Portugal a different route to India - the western route, across the Atlantic. The reasons why the king nevertheless rejected the Genoese’s project can now only be guessed at. It is most likely that the Portuguese either preferred the “bird in the hand” - the path to India around Africa, which had already been almost groped over many years, or they were better informed than Columbus and knew that beyond the Atlantic Ocean was not India at all. Perhaps João II was going to save Columbus with his project until better times, but he did not take into account one thing - the Genoese was not going to wait for the weather by the sea, he fled from Portugal and offered his services to the Spaniards. The latter took their time for a long time, but in 1492 they finally equipped an expedition to the west.

The return of Columbus with the news that he had discovered a western route to India naturally worried the Portuguese: the rights to all lands discovered to the south and east of Cape Bojador, granted to Portugal in 1452 by Pope Nicholas V, were questioned. The Spaniards declared the lands discovered by Columbus theirs and refused to recognize the territorial rights of Portugal. Only the head of the Catholic Church himself could resolve this dispute. On May 3, 1493, Pope Alexander VI made a Solomonic decision: all the lands that the Portuguese had discovered or would discover east of the meridian running 100 leagues (one league was equal to approximately 3 miles or 4.828 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands belonged to them, and the territories west of this line - to the Spaniards. A year later, Spain and Portugal signed the so-called Treaty of Tordesillas, which was based on this decision.

Now the time has come for active action. It was becoming dangerous to delay the expedition to India - God knows what else the Genoese Spaniard would discover across the Atlantic! And the expedition was organized - with the direct participation of Bartolomeu Dias. Who, if not he, who was the first to enter the Indian Ocean, had every right to lead the fateful expedition? However, the new Portuguese king Manuel I in 1497 gave this assignment not to him, but to the young nobleman Vasco da Gama - not so much a navigator as a military man and diplomat. Obviously, the king assumed that the main difficulties awaiting the expedition lay not in the area of ​​navigation, but in the area of ​​contacts with the rulers of the states of East Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

On July 8, 1497, a flotilla consisting of four ships with a crew of 168 people left Lisbon. The flagship "San Gabriel" was commanded by Vasco da Gama himself, the captain of the "San Rafael" was his brother Paulo, Nicolau Coelho led the "Berriu", and on the captain's bridge of the fourth, a small merchant ship, the name of which has not been preserved, stood Gonzalo Nunes. The expedition's route across the Atlantic Ocean is of considerable interest and provides food for many speculations. Having passed the Cape Verde Islands, the ships turned west and described a large arc that almost touched South America, and then went east to St. Helena Bay on the African coast. Not the closest way, right? But the fastest - with such a trajectory, sailboats “ride” on favorable ocean currents. It appears that the Portuguese were already well aware of the currents and winds of the western half of the South Atlantic. This means they could have sailed this route before. Perhaps, while passing by, they saw the land - South America and, moreover, landed there. But this is already in the realm of assumptions, not facts.

Vasco da Gama's people spent 93 days in the ocean without setting foot on land - a world record at that time. On the shore of St. Helena Bay, the sailors met dark-skinned (but lighter than the inhabitants of the mainland already familiar to the Portuguese) short people - the Bushmen. The peaceful trade exchange somehow imperceptibly turned into an armed conflict, and we had to weigh anchor. Having rounded the Cape of Good Hope and after it the southernmost point of Africa - Cape Agulhas, since the compass needle near it was losing declination, the ships entered Mosselbay Bay, and on December 16 they reached the final destination of Bartolomeu Dias's voyage - Rio do Infante (now Great Fish). Meanwhile, scurvy began among the sailors. Now everyone knows that the surest cure for the disease is vitamin C, which is abundant in any fruit, and then there was no cure for the disease.

At the end of January, three ships (the fourth ship, the smallest and decrepit, had to be abandoned) entered the waters where Arab traders were in charge, exporting ivory, ambergris, gold and slaves from Africa. At the very beginning of March, the expedition reached Mozambique. Wanting to make the most favorable impression possible on the local Muslim ruler, Vasco da Gama introduced himself as an adherent of Islam. But either the Sultan revealed the deception, or he did not like the gifts presented by the navigator - the Portuguese had to retreat. In retaliation, Vasco da Gama ordered the inhospitable city to be shot from cannon.

The next stop was Mombasa. The local sheikh didn’t immediately like the aliens - they were, after all, non-believers, but he liked their ships. He tried to take possession of them and destroy the team. The Portuguese managed to put the attackers to flight. Several times Arab merchant ships attacked the Portuguese at sea, but, lacking guns, they were doomed to failure. Vasco da Gama captured Arab ships, and brutally tortured and drowned the prisoners.

In mid-April, the ships arrived in Malindi, where the Portuguese finally received a warm welcome. This is explained simply: the rulers of Malindi and Mombasa were sworn enemies. The crew received several days to rest, the ruler provided the Portuguese with provisions and, most importantly, gave them an experienced Arab pilot to lead the expedition to India. According to some reports, it was the legendary Ahmed ibn Majid. Other historians deny this.

On May 20, the pilot led the flotilla to the Malabar coast, to Calicut (modern Kozhikode), the famous transit center for trade in spices, precious stones and pearls. At first everything went well. The ruler of Calicut (Samuthiri) was hospitable, the Portuguese received permission to trade. They managed to acquire spices, precious stones, and fabrics. But soon troubles began. Portuguese goods were not in demand, largely due to the intrigues of Muslim traders, who were not accustomed to competition and, moreover, had heard about numerous skirmishes between the Portuguese and Arab trading ships. The attitude of the Samuthiri towards the Portuguese also began to change. He did not allow them to establish a trading post in Calicut, and once even took Vasco da Gama into custody. Staying here longer became not only pointless, but also dangerous.

Shortly before sailing, Vasco da Gama wrote a letter to the Samutiri, in which he reminded of the promise to send ambassadors to Portugal, and also asked for gifts for his king - several bags of spices. In response, Samuthiri demanded payment of customs duties and ordered the seizure of Portuguese goods and people. Then Vasco da Gama, taking advantage of the fact that noble people of Calicut were constantly visiting his ships out of curiosity, took several of them hostage. Samutiri was forced to return the detained sailors and part of the goods, while the Portuguese sent half of the hostages ashore, and Vasco da Gama decided to take the rest with him. He left the goods as a gift to the Samuthiri. At the end of August the ships set off. If the journey from Malindi to Calicut took the Portuguese 23 days, then they had to get back for more than four months. And the reason for this is the monsoons, which in summer are directed from the Indian Ocean towards South Asia. Now, if the Portuguese had waited until winter, the monsoon, having changed its direction to the opposite, would have quickly rushed them to the shores of East Africa. And so - a long exhausting swim, terrible heat, scurvy. From time to time we had to fight off Arab pirates. In turn, the Portuguese themselves captured several merchant ships. Only on January 2, 1499, the sailors approached Mogadishu, but did not stop, but only fired at the city with bombards. Already on January 7, the expedition arrived in Malindi, where in five days, thanks to good food, the sailors got stronger - those who remained alive: by this time the crew had thinned by half.

In March, two ships (one ship had to be burned - there was no one to guide it anyway) rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and on April 16, with a fair wind, they reached the Cape Verde Islands. Vasco da Gama sent ahead a ship, which in July brought news of the expedition's success to Lisbon, while he himself remained with his dying brother. He returned to his homeland only on September 18, 1499.

A solemn meeting awaited the traveler; he received the highest title of nobility and a life annuity, and a little later he was appointed “Admiral of the Indian Seas.” The spices and precious stones he brought more than paid for the expenses of the expedition. But the main thing is different. Already in 1500-1501. The Portuguese began trading with India and established strongholds there. Having gained a foothold on the Malabar coast, they began expanding east and west, ousting the Arab merchants and establishing their dominance in Indian sea waters for a whole century. In 1511 they captured Malacca - a real kingdom of spices. Vasco da Gama's reconnaissance in force on the East African coast allowed the Portuguese to organize forts, transshipment bases, and supply points for fresh water and provisions.

FIGURES AND FACTS

Main character: Vasco da Gama, Portuguese
Other characters: Kings João II and Manuel I of Portugal; Alexander VI, Pope; Bartolomeu Dias; captains Paulo da Gama, Nicolau Coelho, Gonzalo Nunes
Time period: July 8, 1497 - September 18, 1499
Route: From Portugal, bypassing Africa to India
Goal: Reach India by sea and establish trade relations
Significance: Arrival of the first ships from Europe in India, establishment of Portuguese dominance in Indian sea waters and on the East African coast

Joan II was not destined to complete the main work of his life, to open the sea route to India. But his successor Manuel I immediately after ascending the throne began preparing the expedition. The king was urged by information about Columbus's discoveries.

Three ships were built especially for this voyage: the flagship San Gabriel, San Rafael, commanded by Vasco's elder brother, Paulo da Gama, and Berriu. As with Dias's voyage, the flotilla was accompanied by a transport ship carrying supplies. The ships were to be guided by the best pilots in Portugal. The crews of the three ships set off on the journey from 140 to 170 people. The people were selected very carefully, many of them had previously participated in voyages to the shores of Africa. The ships were equipped with the most advanced navigation instruments; the navigators had at their disposal accurate maps and all the latest information about West Africa, India and the Indian Ocean. The expedition included translators who knew West African dialects, as well as Arabic and Hebrew.

On July 8, 1497, all of Lisbon gathered at the pier to see off their heroes. It was sad when the sailors said goodbye to their families and friends.

The women covered their heads with black scarves, and crying and lamentations were heard everywhere. After the farewell mass was completed, the anchors were raised and the wind carried the ships from the mouth of the Tagus River into the open ocean.

A week later, the flotilla passed the Azores and went further south. After a short stop on the Cape Verde Islands, the ships headed southwest and moved almost a thousand miles from the coast to avoid headwinds and currents off the coast of Africa. Heading southwest towards the then unknown Brazil and only then turning southeast, Vasco da Gama found not the shortest, but the fastest and most convenient route for sailing ships from Lisbon to the Cape of Good Hope, which the flotilla rounded after four and a half months of sailing.

On December 16, the ships passed the last padran established by Dias before them, and found themselves in places where no European had ever been. One of the provinces of the Republic of South Africa, off the coast of which the sailors celebrated Christmas, has to this day retained the name given by them Natal (Natal), which means “Christmas”.

Continuing their journey, the Portuguese reached the mouth of the Zambezi River. Here the flotilla was forced to delay for ship repairs. But another terrible disaster awaited the sailors: scurvy began. Many had gums that festered and became so swollen that they could not open their mouths. People died a few days after the onset of the disease. One of the eyewitnesses wrote with bitterness that they were going out, like lamps in which all the oil had burned out.

Only a month later the Portuguese were able to resume sailing. After a few days of travel, they saw the island of Mozambique (it is located in the Mozambique Channel, not far from the coast of Africa). A completely new world began here, unlike the areas of the western and southern coasts of Africa known to the Portuguese. In this part of the continent since the 11th century. Arabs infiltrated. Islam, Arabic language and customs spread widely here. The Arabs were experienced sailors, their instruments and maps were often more accurate than those of the Portuguese. Arab pilots knew no equal.

The head of the expedition quickly became convinced that the Arab merchants - the true masters in the cities of the eastern coast of Africa - would be formidable opponents for the Portuguese. In such a difficult situation, he needed to show restraint, prevent clashes between sailors and local residents, and be careful and diplomatic in dealing with local rulers. But it was precisely these qualities that the great navigator lacked; he showed a quick temper and senseless cruelty, and was unable to keep the actions of the crew under control. To obtain the necessary information about the city of Mombasa and the intentions of its ruler, Gama ordered the torture of the captured hostages. Having failed to hire a pilot here, the Portuguese sailed further north.

Soon the ships reached the port of Malindi. Here the Portuguese found an ally in the person of the local ruler, who was at enmity with Mombasa. With his help, they managed to hire one of the best Arab pilots and cartographers, Ahmed ibn Majid, whose name was known far beyond the eastern coast of Africa. Now nothing delayed the flotilla in Malindi, and on April 24, 1498, the Portuguese turned to the northeast. The monsoon inflated the sails and carried the ships to the shores of India. After crossing the equator, people again saw the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere so familiar to them. After 23 days of travel, the pilot brought the ships to the west coast of India, slightly north of the port of Calicut. Left behind were thousands of miles of travel, 11 months of tedious sailing, intense struggle with the formidable elements, clashes with Africans and hostile actions of the Arabs. Dozens of sailors died from disease. But those who survived had every right to feel like winners. They reached fabulous India, walked to the end of the path that their grandfathers and great-grandfathers began to explore.

Having reached India, the tasks of the expedition were by no means exhausted. It was necessary to establish trade relations with local residents, but this was strongly opposed by Arab merchants who did not want to give up their monopoly positions in intermediary trade. “Damn you, who brought you here?” - this was the first question that the local Arabs addressed to the Portuguese. The ruler of Calicut initially had doubts, but Vasco da Gama's arrogance and temper turned him against the newcomers. Moreover, in those days, the establishment of trade and diplomatic relations was necessarily accompanied by the exchange of gifts, and what the Portuguese offered (four red caps, a box with six basins for washing hands and some other similar things) was suitable for some African king, but not for the ruler of a rich Indian principality. Eventually the Muslims attacked the Portuguese, who suffered casualties and sailed away from Calicut in a hurry.

Returning home was not easy and took almost a year. Pirate attacks, storms, famine, scurvy - all this again fell to the lot of tired sailors. Only two ships out of four returned to Portugal; more than half of the sailors did not return to their relatives and friends. Such was the price paid by Portugal for the greatest achievement in its history.

Later, Vasco da Gama sailed again to India, where he became viceroy of the Portuguese possessions in that country. He died in India in 1524. The unbridled temper and cold cruelty of Vasco da Gama greatly undermined the reputation of this extraordinary son of his age. And yet, it is precisely to the talents, knowledge and iron will of Vasco da Gama that humanity owes the implementation of one of the most remarkable discoveries of that time.

The results of the discovery of a sea route to India around Africa were enormous. From this moment until the start of operation of the Suez Canal in 1869, the main trade of Europe with the countries of South and East Asia was not through the Mediterranean Sea, as before, but around Africa. Portugal, now receiving enormous profits, became until the end of the 16th century. the strongest maritime power in Europe, and King Manuel, during whose reign this discovery was made, was nicknamed Manuel the Happy by his contemporaries. The monarchs of neighboring countries envied him and looked for other, their own routes to the countries of the East.

GAMA, VASCO YES(Da Gama, Vasco) (1469–1524), Portuguese navigator who discovered the sea route from Europe to India. Born in 1469 in Sines (province of Alentejo) in the family of Estebano da Gama, chief alcalde of Sines and chief commander of the knights of the Order of Santiago in the Zercale. Educated in Évora; learned the art of navigation. In the 1480s, together with his brothers, he joined the Order of Santiago. At the beginning of 1490 he took part in repelling a French attack on the Portuguese colonies on the coast of Guinea. In 1495 he received two commanderies from his order (Mugelash and Shuparia).

After it was found that Africa could be circumnavigated from the south (B. Dias), and the existence of trade maritime connections between the Arab settlements of East Africa and India was established (P. Covellan), the Portuguese king Manuel I (1495–1521) commissioned V. Gamay sailed to India around Africa in 1497. On July 8, 1497, a flotilla of four ships with a crew of one hundred and sixty-eight people sailed from Lisbon; Vasco himself commanded the flagship San Gabriel, his brother Paulo commanded the second large ship, San Rafael. Having passed the Cape Verde Islands, the expedition headed west, and then turned east, making a large arc along the Atlantic Ocean, and in early November reached the African coast near St. Helena Bay; On November 20, the flotilla rounded the Cape of Good Hope, on November 25 entered Mosselbay Bay, and on December 16 reached the last point reached by B. Dias - Rio do Infante (modern Great Fish River). Having opened the eastern coast of modern times on Christmas Day. South Africa, V. da Gama called him “Natal”. At the end of January 1498, the Portuguese, having passed the mouth of the river. Zambezi, entered waters controlled by the Arab maritime trading alliance. On March 2, V. da Gama arrived in Mozambique, on March 7 - in Mombasa, where he encountered open hostility from the local Arabs, but on April 14 he was warmly received in Malindi. In this East African city, he hired an Arab pilot, with the help of whom on May 20, 1498 he led the flotilla to Calicut, the largest transit center for trade in spices, precious stones and pearls on the Malabar (southwestern) coast of India.

Initially warmly received by the Calicut rajah (hamudrin), V. da Gama soon fell out of favor with him due to the intrigues of Arab merchants who were afraid of losing their monopoly on trade with India, and on October 5, 1498 he was forced to set off on the return journey. After a difficult journey (storms, scurvy), having lost the San Rafael, he reached Lisbon in September 1499; Most of the expedition members died, including Paulo da Gama, and only fifty-five people returned to their homeland. However, the goal was achieved - the sea route from Europe to Asia was opened. In addition, the cargo of spices delivered from India made it possible to offset the costs of the expedition many times over. Upon his return, Vasco da Gama received a ceremonial welcome; received a noble title and an annual annuity of 300 thousand reis; in January 1500 appointed “Admiral of the Indies”; he was assigned feudal rights to Sines.

In 1502 he led a new expedition to India (twenty ships) with the aim of avenging the massacre carried out by the Arabs in the Portuguese trading post in Calicut and protecting the commercial interests of Portugal in India. Along the way, he discovered the Amirant Islands and founded colonies in Mozambique and Sofala; received tribute from the Sheikh of Kilwa (East Africa) and defeated the Arab fleet of twenty-nine ships sent against him. Arriving at Calicut, he subjected it to a brutal bombardment, virtually destroying the city's port, and forced the Rajah to surrender. He concluded profitable agreements with local rulers and, leaving some of the ships to protect Portuguese trading posts, returned to his homeland with a huge cargo of spices (September 1503). As a result of the expedition, the center of European trade finally moved from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. V. da Gama again received great honors, and in 1519 he received, instead of Sines, transferred to the Order of Santiago, the cities of Vidigueira and Vila dos Frades and the title of Count of Vidigueira.

In 1524 he was sent by the new king João III (1521–1557) to India as viceroy. He took a number of energetic measures to strengthen the Portuguese positions on the Malabar coast, but soon died in Cochin (south of Calicut) on December 24, 1524. In 1539, his remains were transported from the local Franciscan church to Portugal and buried in Vidigueira.

In memory of the first journey of Vasco da Gama, the Jeronimite monastery was erected in Belem. His deeds were sung by L. di Camoes in an epic poem Lusiads(1572).

Ivan Krivushin

Perhaps not a single sailor is covered with such scandalous fame as Vasco da Gama. If he had not paved the way to India, then I think he would have remained one of the conquistadors unknown to history.

Who is Vasco da Gama and why is he famous?

The main achievement of this man is the construction of a sea route to the shores of the treasured India, which made him a hero among his compatriots. It is believed that he was born between 1460 and 1470 (the exact date is unknown). He grew up in a wealthy family, but was considered a bastard and could not claim an inheritance because, for unknown reasons, his mother and father were not engaged. In 1481, he became a student at the school of mathematics and astronomy, and the next 12 years remained a mystery to historians. In 1493, he led the Portuguese in a raid on the coast of France, and successfully captured all the ships that were anchored. But real exploits awaited him ahead.

Voyages of Vasco da Gama

In 1498, he was appointed to lead an expedition to the “land of spices,” and on July 8 of the same year, 3 ships left the port of Portugal:

• "Berriu";
• "San Gabriel";
• "San Rafael".

After some time, they successfully circumnavigated Africa and moved north in search of a guide. Having reached the Arab settlements, Vasco tricked experienced pilots into showing the way, and already in May 1499 he set foot on the coast of India. It must be said that the Portuguese did not show themselves in the best way - they took the wealthy citizens of Calicut hostage, and then simply plundered the city. In mid-September 1500, the ships returned to Portugal, having recouped all costs almost 100 times!

In 1503, Vasco, already on 20 ships, led the second expedition, which arrived safely in Cannanur. Once again, the Portuguese distinguished themselves by bloodshed and cruelty, and made part of the captured territory a colony of Portugal. A year later they returned back to Lisbon, where Vasco da Gama was awarded the title of count. Shortly before his death, he went to India for the 3rd time, where he died of illness, and in 1523 his body was taken to Portugal.