These were engraved upon his epitaph when he was buried in his final resting place in Portugal.ĭa Gama’s maiden voyage records the first occurrence of an epidemic known as “sea scurvy”. This expedition has therefore been labelled as the most ruthless and violent in the history of maritime exploration.įollowing his discovery of India, King Manuel I of Portugal bestowed on Vasco da Gama, titles of Admiral of the Indian Ocean, Viceroy of Portugal to India, as well as the court title of Dom, or Count, among other accolades and presents of wealth. This led to da Gama’s second expedition, one of vengeance and great violence, at the end of which the Zamorin (the local ruler) was forced to establish peace and open trading relations with the Portuguese. The Moors, or Muslim traders, who monopolized Eastern spice trade at the time opposed the establishment of Portuguese trade centers. It was only on the second expedition that da Gama was able to fully satisfy their expectations of trade. They were scorned by the rulers and the local people of the port cities they landed in because of the lack of richness in their goods.
The Portuguese explorer and his crew greatly underestimated the trading-capacity of the places they were set to explore. Da Gama and his retinue are believed to have prayed in this place. The Hindu temple was considered a local variation of a chapel and the goddess enshrined in the temple was mistaken for the local interpretation of “Our Lady”. In fact, on landing at the coast of Calicut, the natives were mistaken for Christians, since da Gama and his men had never heard of the Hindu religion. This voyage was not meant only for economic gain – it was a partly missionary expedition as well.
The exact date of his landing in the country is recorded as May 20 in the year 1498.According to historians, da Gama is said to have named “Christians and spices” as the goal of his expedition. He had made more than one voyage to India, and was responsible for opening up the sea route from Europe to India, or more broadly speaking, from the western world to the eastern world. The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, is the first European to reach India by sea. It is about 16 km away from the main town, and makes for a fantastic languid day trip. The charming beach is much like most of Kerala's gorgeous beaches, but is certainly more special, thanks to this historic event. Vasco da Gama landed here, Kappakadavu, in the year, 1498. Travellers, and history enthusiasts can today see an inscription here on a stone monument that says, When in Kozhikode, you have got to visit this historic site. Located in Kozhikode, the town of Kappad has gone down in history as the spot where Vasco da Gama reached. According to information we now know, the exact spot is Kappad Beach. When Vasco da Gama had first landed in India, he did so in the state of Kerala.
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