In the assignment, I research bout Vasco de Gama who is known as a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India. According to BBC History, he was born in 1460 or 1469 in Sines, on the southwest coast of Portugal, in a house near the church of Nossa Senhora das Salas.
Portugal sponsored him because by the middle of the 15th century, they were the leading maritime nation in Europe, thanks largely to the legacy of Prince Henry the Navigator, who had brought together a talented group of mapmakers, geographers, astronomers and navigators at his school of seamanship at Sagres, in southern Portugal. The Henry’s original intention had been to find a sea route to India that would give Portugal access to the lucrative trade in spices from the Far East.
According to Modern History Sourcebook published by University of New York, even though he was compelled to return with the bare discovery and the few spices he had bought there at inflated prices, he still made a 3000% profit by the trade. Da Gama sailed from Lisbon that July with four vessels, traveling south along the coast of Africa before veering far off into the southern Atlantic in order to avoid unfavorable currents.
The fleet was finally able to round the Cape of Good Hope at Africa’s southern tip in late November, and headed north along Africa’s eastern coast, making stops at what is now Mozambique, Mombasa and Malindi (both now in Kenya).
The Essay on Colonialization In Africa
Each country in the entire world has experienced a great deal of change whether it be Religion, beliefs, food, or education. You may think that just because you live in the United States that every state has evolved the same, well not really at all the East coast was all founded years before the West and just like America other countries follow a similar pattern like Africa. There are so many ...
With the help of a local navigator, da Gama was able to cross the Indian Ocean and reach the coast of India at Calicut (now Kozhikode) in May 1498.
Although, his original intentions were known to find new trade route to Asia and to trade for spices and Jewels, his 1st journey had failed in achieving the main purposes which they tried to form an alliance with the local ruler and failing in making an intimate relationship with Calicut kingdom. However, his 2nd journey made a crucial progresses that enabled him to explore a new market. Along the way, on the outgoing voyage, Gama’s fleet opened contact with the East African gold trading port of Sofala, and reduced the sultanate of Kilwa to tribute, extracting a substantial sum of gold.
The two discoveries started a new chain of interconnected global commerce from which Europe reaped the most benefits. Columbus’s discovery of the new world resulted in a process of mining of gold and silver, in short supply in Europe. This import of bullion gave Europe a huge advantage in its trade with the East. Vasco da Gama’s discovery created a new route that exposed the whole of East for exploration and exploitation by the West. The spice obtained from the East (paid for by the bullion extracted from the Americas) went straight to Europe for consumption by the Europeans.
The silk obtained from the East also went to the African shores where it was exchanged with African slaves. A controversial figure who committed acts of great brutality, he nevertheless played a huge role in expanding global trade and building contacts between civilizations. Vasco da Gama provoked controversy even by the standards of his day, but he was a great seaman and opened up contact between Europe and the ancient, wealthy civilizations of India.
The subsequent history of both regions was hugely affected by his voyages; it’s beyond doubt that he changed the history of the world. Unfortunately, however, Gama contracted malaria not long after arriving, and died in the city of Cochin on Christmas Eve in 1524, three months after his arrival. As per royal instructions, Gama was succeeded as governor of India by one the captains who had come with him. In addition, he was enormously rich when he died in.
The Essay on The Byzantine Empire and Medieval Europe
There are many similarities and differences between the Byzantine Empire and medieval Western Europe. There are also many factors that have contributed to their changes. The reign of these emperors and traditions of these empires had led to important historical developments and has also taught us on how political leaders should have ruled. The reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I from 482–565 ...