Who Discovered the Sea Route to India? The Story of Vasco da Gama, Columbus & Bartolomeu Dias
Introduction
India has been known as the "Golden Bird" since ancient times. This does not mean that there were birds made of gold in India. It means that India was a country full of wealth and prosperity. The kings also carried out many useful works for their people.
Not only that, but India had many types of agricultural crops. Skilled people built magnificent buildings, temples, and palaces. The well-planned cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, as well as historical sites like Lothal, are evidence of India's rich civilization. In ancient times, India was also famous around the world for its spices, which attracted people from many other countries.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1453 | Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople |
| 1487–1488 | Bartolomeu Dias reached the Cape of Good Hope |
| 1492 | Christopher Columbus reached America |
| 20 May 1498 | Vasco da Gama reached Calicut |
| After 1498 | Beginning of Portuguese trade in India |
| 1961 | Liberation of Goa |
Why Did People from Other Countries Come to India?
In the beginning, India had very good trade relations with European countries. The people of Europe, especially those who ate meat, liked Indian spices very much.
India exported rice, cotton, flax, silk, cotton cloth, indigo, and the famous Dhaka muslin cloth to European countries. Many other valuable goods were also exported from India. People had been trading these goods for a very long time. Most of this trade was carried out by sea, so European traders had to travel by ship to reach India.
Why Was There a Need to Find India?
As we have seen, India had strong trade relations with European countries. For centuries, trade between Europe and India was carried out through the Silk Route and other land routes.
Constantinople, also known as Istanbul, was considered the gateway to Europe or the "entry point" to Europe. In 1453, it was captured by the Turkish Muslims. As a result, the trade route between Europe and India was blocked.
The Turkish rulers imposed very heavy taxes on European merchants. Because of this, Indian spices became 10 to 60 times more expensive in Europe.
The people of Europe could not live without Indian spices, so they needed to find a new sea route to India.
Europe needed not only Indian spices but also cotton cloth, muslin cloth, and indigo. Indian indigo was of much better quality than that of other countries because its color remained bright and long-lasting on cloth.
Indian spices were also very important in the cold regions of Europe for both health and the taste of food.
When the supply of these products suddenly stopped, Europe needed to discover a new sea route to continue trade with India.
Spain and Portugal began searching for this new route. They wanted to break the monopoly of the Italian merchants and trade directly with India so that they could become wealthier.
The Amazing Journey to Find India
Bartholomeu Dias
The King of Portugal, Prince Henry, said, "No matter what happens, I will not let my people suffer." He took responsibility and declared, "Under any circumstances, I will find a way to reach India."
He announced throughout the kingdom that anyone who could find the best expert on the sea would be rewarded.
Soon, he found skilled sailors and navigators. With their help, he developed a strong navy. Because of his efforts, Prince Henry became known as "Henry the Navigator."
From this, we can say that Portugal made the first major effort to discover a sea route to India.
The first Portuguese explorer to begin this journey was Bartholomeu Dias, around 1487–1488.
He started his voyage from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and slowly sailed south.
He was able to reach only the southern tip of Africa. As he moved farther south, he faced dangerous whirlpools and rough seas that trapped his ship.
Although the journey was very risky, Bartholomeu Dias continued with great courage and finally reached the Cape of Good Hope.
However, he had not yet reached India. Still, this achievement gave people hope that a sea route to India could be found. That is why the Cape of Good Hope came to be known as a symbol of hope.
Christopher Columbus
After this, another explorer came forward. He was from Italy, and his name was Christopher Columbus.
His main goal was to reach India by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. Believing that the Earth was round, he began his journey.
At that time, Europe did not know the direct sea route to India. Columbus believed that by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean, he could reach India.
However, in 1492, he accidentally discovered America instead of India.
Until the end of his life, Columbus believed that he had found India, but this was not true.
About 500 years before Christopher Columbus arrived, the Vikings from Europe had already reached North America.
The continent of America was later named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who proved that Christopher Columbus had not discovered India.
Vasco da Gama
After Columbus, another Portuguese sailor named Vasco da Gama set out to find the sea route to India under the orders of the King of Portugal.
By that time, the route up to the Cape of Good Hope was already known because of the earlier expedition.
However, reaching that point required a very long sea journey. Therefore, Vasco da Gama carried a large amount of food and other essential supplies with him.
At first, the journey went well. As time passed, the food began to spoil. Even after eating stale bread and facing many hardships, he continued his journey without giving up.
His body became weak, but he did not lose courage. He sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and continued towards India.
After a long and difficult journey, and with the help of an Indian sailor, Vasco da Gama finally reached Calicut on the coast of present-day Kerala on 20 May 1498.
At that time, Calicut was ruled by King Zamorin.
By reaching Calicut, Vasco da Gama successfully proved that a direct sea route to India existed.
Portuguese Trade with India
According to some old stories, Vasco da Gama was impressed by India's wealth and believed that it would be a good place for trade.
He visited the court of King Zamorin and requested permission to trade.
The king replied, "We cannot allow foreigners to trade in our country."
After hearing this, Vasco da Gama used his intelligence.
He asked for a glass of milk and then requested some sugar. He mixed the sugar into the milk, but the milk did not overflow.
He then explained to the king, "Just as sugar mixes with milk without causing any harm, we will trade with your people without creating any problems."
The king was convinced by this explanation and granted permission for trade.
In this way, the Portuguese became the first Europeans to establish trade in India.
When the Portuguese came to India, they brought many new crops and food items, including potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, papaya, guava, pineapple, cashew, and tobacco. Today, many of these have become an important part of Indian food.
Their main objective was trade, but they also wanted to spread their religion and culture.
They especially spread Christianity in Goa, Diu, and Daman, where Portuguese culture also left a lasting influence.
The Portuguese introduced the printing press in India and also promoted the shipbuilding industry.
The Portuguese ruled parts of India for nearly 450 years.
After India became independent, the Indian Army liberated Goa from Portuguese rule in 1961.
Conclusion
The truth is that Christopher Columbus never came to India. He set out to find India but accidentally reached America instead.
Later, Vasco da Gama arrived in India and successfully discovered the direct sea route to the country. This became one of the most important and exciting voyages in world history.
The new sea route discovered by Portugal greatly increased trade in spices, cotton cloth, indigo, sugarcane, Dhaka muslin, tobacco, and many other valuable goods. As a result, Portugal earned huge profits.
The Portuguese were also freed from paying the heavy taxes that Arab traders had previously charged. The new sea route reduced travel costs and made trade much easier.
Besides spices, Portugal also traded in raw silk, opium, and many Indian handicrafts. This helped Portugal become one of the powerful nations of its time.
The discovery of the new sea route to India not only changed trade but also changed world politics and the course of history forever.
