How Many Times did Vasco da Gama Visit India

Introduction

Vasco da Gama made three trips to India: in 1498, 1501, and 1524. Vasco da Gama was born in Sines, Portugal, in 1460 to a prosperous Portuguese family. To make the epic journey from Portugal to India that would ultimately make his son famous, Vasco's father, who was also an explorer, set out to do it. But in 1524 CE, during his third voyage, he became ill and passed away in Cochin. But before he could complete the journey, he passed away. Portugal was frantically looking for a sea route to Asia in the late 1400s so they could buy spices for a bargain. Despite some progress made by explorers like Bartholomeu Dias, no one had been able to sail around Africa's southernmost tip, the Cape of Good Hope (where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans converge), and into the Indian Ocean.

Life

Estêvo da Gama, a minor provincial nobleman who oversaw the fortress of Sines on the Alentejo province's coast in southwestern Portugal, was the father of Vasco Da Gama, his third son. His childhood is largely unknown. In response to French attacks on Portuguese shipping during the French civil war, King John II of Portugal dispatched Vasco da Gama to the port of Setubal, south of Lisbon, and to the Algarve, Portugal's southernmost province, in 1492. Da Gama completed this mission quickly and successfully.

King Manuel took the throne in 1495. The Portuguese court's power dynamics shifted in favour of the da Gama family's supporters and friends. The Portuguese fleet was sent to India to open the sea route to Asia and to outflank the Muslims, who had previously had a monopoly on trade with India and other eastern states. At the same time, a long-forgotten project was revived. Da Gama, who had little relevant experience, was chosen for some reason to be the expedition's leader.

Voyage to India

Vasco da Gama's expedition was supported financially by Portuguese King Manuel I in 1497. However, many people continued to think the journey was impractical because they did not think the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were connected. On July 8, 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed across the Atlantic in four ships carrying criminals because he thought it was possible. On November 22, after spending five months in the Atlantic, Vasco da Gama and his crew successfully navigated their ship around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean.

On May 20, 1498, Vasco da Gama arrived in Calicut, India, after making several stops along ports in the eastern African countries of Kenya, Mozambique, and others, and after battling Muslim traders in the Indian Ocean who did not appreciate interference with their trade routes.

Vasco da Gama had been away from home for more than two years, including 300 days at sea, and had covered about 24,000 miles by the time he made his first trip to India in 1499.

You may be surprised to learn that the Indian subcontinent has been thriving for 5,000–6,000 years. Around 1500 BCE, the people of the subcontinent came together to form the Vedic Civilization, which laid the groundwork for Hinduism.

Back in Portugal

Da Gama engaged in extensive trade with India for goods and spices from Asia. He was at first well-received in India, but he eventually outstayed his welcome. In August of 1498, Da Gama left India after being ordered to pay a high tax and leave the goods he had traded for. Da Gama delayed leaving India by holding hostages before giving up the goods. By the time Vasco da Gama arrived back in Lisbon in 1499, many of his crew members had passed away from scurvy (a condition brought on by a deficiency in vitamin C), and he had gained fame. He was appointed an admiral by King Manuel I.

The Tyrant

King Manuel dispatched Vasco da Gama back to India in 1502. However, to avoid issues with Muslim traders this time, Vasco da Gama arrived with 20 armed ships. In one instance, da Gama gave the order to kill all 380 people aboard a Muslim ship. As soon as he arrived in India, he massacred a large number of Muslims to show off his strength and bombarded Calicut to impose the Portuguese will on the Asian trading markets. The victories of Vasco da Gama paved the way for later Asian conquests.

Vasco Da Gama made three trips to India. On Christmas Eve in 1524, three months after his arrival, he passed away in the city of Cochin. Vasco da Gama immediately used his high viceregent authority to impose a new system of government on Portuguese India and appoint his own officials in place of all the previous ones. Gama, however, fell ill with malaria soon after arriving and passed away three months later on Christmas Eve in Cochin. Vasco Da Gama succeeded Henrique de Menezes as governor of India following royal directives.