What did Vasco da Gama discover? Vasco da Gama's journey

The era of great geographical discoveries is an extremely important milestone in the history of mankind. Of course, the peoples of South and North America are unlikely to agree with this statement, but for our civilization as a whole the significance of those studies is enormous. The names of the brave captains of the glorious age are forever imprinted in historical documents, and so every schoolboy knows them today.

But not everyone can enumerate the true achievements of these great people. Not everyone, for example, will answer the question about what Vasco da Gama discovered. This we will consider in the article.

The main milestones of biography

Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) - the world-famous Portuguese navigator, whose life fell just at the time of the Great Discoveries. Known for being the first in history to pave the sea route to India. At one time he even held the high post of vice-king of Portuguese India. In short, the biography of Vasco da Gama is rich in outstanding events.

Many historians emphasize that the pioneer in the strict sense of the word he was not (in contrast to the same Magellan). While Christopher Columbus had to persuade the powerful of this world to organize the expedition in a sweat, Vasco da Gama did not deal with such issues. This is explained by the fact that the monarch simply appointed him "the discoverer of the sea route to India."

Morethoda was also very lucky with the organizations of the campaign: he and the team were provided with all the best, perfectly aware of the importance of the whole event.

How did the biography of Vasco da Gama begin? About his mother a lot is not known, but the father belonged to an ancient and wealthy knightly estate. The future conqueror of the oceans had five brothers and a sister.

Judging by the "yes" in his name, his family belonged exactly to the higher nobility. According to Portuguese historians, one of the ancestors of Vasco da Gama (the biography of the traveler confirms this) at one time distinguished himself in the battle with the Moors, for which he was awarded the knighthood.

Where was the future pioneer of the sea route to India getting education? Alas, here it is necessary to judge only on indirect traces. More or less reliably known only that mathematics and navigation young Vasco da Gama comprehended in Evora. Given that the information has survived only about these sciences, one can imagine how the Portuguese respected people who were able to navigate the course and handle the sextant.

It should be noted that the Portuguese nobles had no particular choice in matters relating to the nature of their occupation. If a man belonged to the nobility, and even was a knight, his way is exclusively a military matter. Given that more or less serious land wars Portugal did not lead anyone, but actively mastered the lands overseas, virtually all noblemen became naval officers.

Did not escape the same path and young Vasco da Gama: a biography (discoveries as well) it clearly shows that Portugal had no more talented captains at that time.

Life of Vasco da Gama before his trip to India

In the distant 1492, some French corsairs were able to intercept the rich cargo that was going to Portugal. The monarch of this glorious country could not stand such impudence, and therefore instructed one young nobleman to walk with a punitive raid along the coast, seizing all the ships of the French found in that area. The lieutenant fulfilled the task so quickly and effectively that the robbers had to return everything. As you have guessed, this brave knight was Vasco da Gama. For his determination and courage, he quickly approached the royal court.

In 1495 Manuel I ascended to the throne of Portugal, who not only with renewed eagerness continued the work of the sea expansion of the already known lands, but also seriously thought about opening a seaway route to India. Initially, Bartolomeo Dias was appointed the leader of the squadron. But the king understood that the expedition would need talents not only seaworthy, but also purely military. So our hero was appointed to this place. So what did Vasco da Gama reveal in the future?

On the sea route to India

It should be noted that the predecessor of the active monarch by that time had already tried his luck in the search for a land route. It was not easy to do this, since the entire northern part of Africa was in the hands of the aforementioned Moors. Only after passing south of the Sahara, it was possible to go to the desired path.

In 1487, a serious expedition set out on a hike. It was led by experienced officers - Peru da Coviljana and Afonso di Payva. The first managed to reach the desired India and send home a message about the possibility of such a transition. Already in 1488, Bartolomeo Dias carried out a detailed study of the southern extremity of the Black Continent. It seemed that Joao II was about to have the strongest trump card in his hands - the way to India would guarantee a steady flow of wealth. So why did Vasco da Gama and the opening of the sea route to India become such an important milestone in the history of both Portugal and the whole of human civilization?

The fate was different: the king's only heir is dying, and therefore he is almost completely excluded from politics. However, he managed to do a lot: so, to accompany the expedition, a whole squadron of first-class ships was built, whose design was once laid on the notorious Bartolomeo Dias.

When the monarch died in 1495, Manuel I - his successor - at first thought least of India. But the international political situation has developed in such a way that without this it soon became impossible. Quick preparation for the great campaign continued.

Equipment of the first expedition

What ships did Vasco da Gama travel on? At the head of the squadron stood "San Gabriel." A similar ship, "San Rafael", passed under the command of Paulo, Vasco da Gama's brother. Both sailboats belonged to the so-called nao class. They were very large vessels, displacement of which reached 120-150 tons. Due to the wide rectangular sails, they could develop a decent speed, but they were rather slow, and the seamen did not like to use them for long transitions without being tied to the shore.

The opposite of the flagship was the "Berry". The ship is a sturdy maneuverable caravel. It was equipped with an oblique sail, commanded by Nicolae Coelho. Finally, the squadron included a transport worker, no name, or other information about which was not preserved.

About navigation

It is not surprising that with this attention to the organization of the expedition, the best navigational instruments of that time were allocated for its equipping. Ober-navigator became Peru Alenquer. This outstanding sailor has already managed to prove himself well in the campaign with Dias (about which we spoke above). In addition to the main officers on board, there was a priest, scribe and astronomer. We also took care of several translators who helped us in our communication with the natives. According to some historians, the number of the crew reached 170 people.

Philanthropic tradition

In those days there was one curious tradition. On board with similar campaigns, convicted criminals were taken. Of course, they did this not to introduce prisoners to the beauties of the overseas lands. They were used as scouts, landing forces and in other situations, when I did not want to risk the lives of a regular crew. However, for the prisoners themselves there was also "a light at the end of the tunnel". No matter how difficult the sin that a man committed in the wild, he got freedom at the end of the voyage. If I lived, of course.

Nutrition issues

Remember, we mentioned a certain transport ship? Including him in the composition of the expeditions began from the days of Dias, when such an approach to the case proved the highest effectiveness. The warehouse ship kept a huge supply of provisions, uniforms, spare rigging, tools. The team's diet did not shine with an abundance: cereals, corned beef, rusks. In addition, the standard ration included a small amount of wine. Greens and fruits, fish and fresh meat were obtained by the sailors themselves at the parking lots.

All sailors and officers received a good salary (except for the "penalty battalion"). For the sake of the romance of maritime wanderings, no one went camping. However, Vasco da Gama's trip was a purely commercial event, so it's not exactly surprising.

What were the squadron's ships armed with?

By that time armament on ships had already gone far from those primitive mortars that were widely met at the beginning of the era. Each of the "nao" had at least 20 guns, and the caravel was armed with twelve cannon. The team's personal weapons were reminiscent of the Spanish: the same cuirasses and halberds, daggers and swords. There were also several muskets and pistols. The quality and prevalence of personal firearms were so small that it did not usually have a serious effect on the outcome of the fight.

On July 8, 1497 the squadron left with great honors from the port of Lisbon. A great navigator of that era - Vasco da Gama - set out on his way. The discovery of India (more precisely, the sea route there) was just around the corner!

Beginning of the campaign

The process took place in the regular mode: the ships sailed along the Sierra-Leone. Taking advantage of the good advice of Dias, the expedition deviated significantly west of the planned course in order to avoid the strongest headwind. By the way, he himself, by this time, had already left the armada on a separate ship, heading for the fortress of San Jorge-da-Mina. There, Dias took up the post of commandant.

Meanwhile, our squadron has already made an impressive detour in the Atlantic Ocean, after which the Portuguese again saw the shores of the Black Continent. November 4, 1497 there was a significant descent of the anchor in the bay, which immediately received the name of St. Helena. The crews of the ships received orders for long-term parking, as the ships were still heavily patted in the open ocean, but all the work did not work. Along the way, it was possible to find a few scraps of land, on which the desperately operating ships patched up. This is how Vasco da Gama discovered the uninhabited islands.

The local population turned out to be extremely hostile. However, given the number of slavers in those places, there was nothing surprising in this. Vasco da Gama himself received an arrow in one of the skirmishes, after which the squadron moved on.

But the main tests were yet to come. With great difficulty circumambulating the Cape of Storms (Good Hope), the flotilla dropped anchor in the bay of Mossel Bay. A dysfunctional cargo ship bad weather so badly that it was necessary to burn it. Fortunately, the local natives turned out to be much kinder to the travelers, and so it was possible not only to carry out repairs of ships without hindrances, but also to replenish the supplies of water and provisions. The further way lay to the north-east.

Arab cunning

On December 16, 1497, the sailors saw the last memorial pillar that Diasha's expedition left in 1488. Everyone considered this a good omen, and foreboding was justified: a whole month the voyage was going on without delays and incidents. This is largely due to the fact that the ships of the expedition sailed along quite civilized shores.

The fact is that the eastern coast of Africa has long been an Arab patrimony, and they, unlike the semi-savage tribes of the western coast, knew the Europeans well. In many respects because of this, the Vasco da Gama expedition was quite peaceful (for those years). The sea route to India has taken the lives of many sailors, but they died because of poor nutrition and infectious diseases.

Despite the Crusades, the attitude towards them was quite acceptable, but without complications it still did not do.

So, in Mozambique friction with the local administration began. And it was not at all a religion, to which very cynical Arabs paid little attention, but that local merchants suspected competitors in Portugal. Vasco da Gama did not stay in debt, lightly firing inhospitable banks.

In the ports of Mombasa and Malindi, the expedition was met with a better example. Strangely enough, but the local sheikh welcomed them as best friends. However, he had his own reasons: the flattered Portuguese easily signed an allied treaty against some common enemies. In Malindi, the expedition finally met Indian merchants. A lot of work and considerable money cost the procedure for finding a reliable pilot. On May 20, 1498, the ships of the flotilla finally reached the coast of Hindustan.

Vasco first visited the city of Calicut (present Kozhikode). The mayor greeted the guests very solemnly. But even then the Muslim merchants began to reinsert them with sticks in the wheels. Relations with the mayor deteriorated sharply, trade was bad. However, managed to haggle a lot of precious stones and spices. According to the old tradition, Vasco da Gama repaid ungrateful townspeople, planting several cores in the city walls and capturing a couple of valuable hostages. In Goa, the Portuguese tried to found a merchant's trading post, but even here they failed.

The sea route to the shores of India - that's what Vasco da Gama discovered!

Return trip

I had to turn around and swim home. However, it was a sin to complain: the terrain was explored, trade relations, albeit poorly, are settled. Subsequently, this was an important factor in establishing the rule of the Portuguese in those parts, which was greatly contributed by Vasco da Gama himself. The great travelers of those years often became talented politicians and commanders, so there is nothing surprising in this fact of his biography.

But it was ahead, and for now the mariners were going to have a long and dangerous way back. They were harassed by Somali pirates (how little the situation in that area has changed since then), terrible heat and food infections. On January 2, 1499, the city of Mogadishu was "fired from guns" for "prophylaxis", after which the squadron headed for Malindi.

Recreation

On January 7, 1499 they reached an already familiar city, in which they finally were able to rest from the oppressive sea and ship's tightness. And this time the sheikh provided excellent food and apartments, and therefore in just five days the team pretty cheered up.

The path continued, but not without losses: on January 13, near Mombasa, because of the severe leak, I again had to say goodbye to one of the ships. By mid-April, a very thin fleet still managed to reach the Green Cape. The house was already close. To reassure the members of the families and the king, the ship was sent ahead, which was the first to deliver the news of the successful completion of the expedition. At the same time Vasco's brother, Paulo, was seriously ill, and so the captain himself was delayed.

And only at the end of August (or already in September) 1499 the remnants of the armada proudly moored in the port of Lisbon. That's what Vasco da Gama discovered. Marco Polo and other great sailors of yesteryear could have been rightfully proud of the affairs of their colleague!

Return and reward

Only two ships and 55 crew members arrived to their native shores. But from a financial point of view, the success was simply phenomenal: the proceeds from trade with Arabs and Hindus 60 times (!) Exceeded all costs for the organization of the expedition itself. It is not surprising that the name of Vasco da Gama and the opening of the sea route to India have become synonymous for many years to come!

Manuel I was delighted. Vasco received a high title of don, a considerable pension and a huge land plot. Given that Vasco da Gama opened the way to India, which since ancient times was famous for its wealth, such honors are easily explained. In addition, our hero became an approximate adviser to the king, so that all the hardships were not in vain. In India, he will go more than once, defending the interests of his native land on distant shores.

At the end of 1524 Vasco da Gama died, having passed away from life on Indian soil. He nevertheless managed to found a trading post on Goa, which remained under the protectorate of Portugal until the middle of the 20th century. Compatriots to this day highly commemorate the legendary navigator, and the discoveries and life of Vasco da Gama are studied in schools. In his honor the bridge in Lisbon is named, and the number of works of art dedicated to him can not be calculated at all.

We examined what Vasco da Gama discovered. We hope that the information provided above will be useful to you.