Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama married Catarina de Ataíde around 1501. His wife was the daughter of Álvaro de Ataíde, the alcaide-mór of Alvor (Algarve), and a prominent nobleman. The couple had six sons and one daughter.

Da Gama embarked on his third voyage to India in 1524. He contracted malaria not long after his arrival in India and his health declined steadily. He died in Cochin on Christmas Eve in 1524. He was initially buried in Kochi but later on his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539.

There is some confusion regarding the year of his birth. Vasco da Gama is believed to have been born in either 1460 or 1469 in Sines, on the southwest coast of Portugal. His father Estêvão da Gama was a wealthy knight and his mother Isabel Sodré was daughter of João Sodré, a prominent figure in the military Order of Christ. He had four brothers and one sister.

Not much is known about his early life, though certain sources suggest that the studied at the town of Evora. He is believed to have been trained in mathematics and navigation. Da Gama also claimed to have studied under the astrologer and astronomer, Abraham Zacuto though this claim was never verified.

Vasco da Gama joined the Order of Santiago around 1480. King John II of Portugal, who ascended to the throne in 1481 held the Order in high regard and this proved beneficial for the future career of da Gama.

The king dispatched da Gama on a mission to the port of Setúbal and to the Algarve in 1492. The French government had earlier disrupted Portuguese shipping and John II wanted da Gama to seize French ships in an act of retaliation. Da Gama, a fearless navigator, effortlessly performed the given task and received praise from the overjoyed king.

In 1495, King Manuel ascended to the throne, and he too, like his predecessor was much in favor of the da Gama family. By this time, Portugal which had established itself as one of the most powerful maritime countries in Europe revived its earlier mission to find a direct trade route to India.

Vasco da Gama was chosen to lead the expedition to India in 1497. Captaining a fleet of four vessels, including his flagship, St. Gabriel, he set off in July 1497 to find a sailing route to India and the East.

The expedition first sailed south down the coast of Africa and then turned out into the Atlantic before swinging back in an arc to arrive at the southern African coast. Then the ships reached the Cape of Good Hope and moved toward the uncharted waters of the Indian Ocean. The explorers finally reached the Indian coast, at Calicut (now Kozhikode) in May 1498, thus successfully discovering the all-water route from Europe to Asia. The explorers returned to Portugal after a difficult journey back home in 1499.

Vasco da Gama’s biggest contribution to Portuguese was the discovery of a direct sea route linking Europe and Asia for the first time. This feat, accomplished on his first voyage to India not only opened up many avenues for world trade but also paved the way for Portuguese colonization in Asia.