Rounding the Cape of Good Hope
Vasco da Gama's network during his first voyage to India
(1497-1499)
IntroductionWithout any doubt, Vasco da Gama extended the Portuguese trade network to a very large extent. His first journey to India (1497-1499) was extremely important in intensifying relations between the West and the East. During this expedition the Portuguese came in contact with a variety of peoples for the first time. The discovery of the sea route to India by rounding the Cape of Good brought Europe, Africa and Asia closer together.
Although Da Gama is most well known for being the first European to reach India by sea, he was the first to sail along the eastern African coast, the so-called Swahili coast, as well. Consequently, both in eastern Africa and India Da Gama lay the foundations for the Portuguese and European presence in the area which would last centuries. During my research I focused on the network established by Da Gama during his first voyage in the Indian Ocean World, both in Africa and Asia. Uncountable historians have done research on Da Gama. Indispensable in this is A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama, 1497-1499, originally written in Portuguese by an anonymous author. As an eyewitness account it contains a lot of crucial information about Da Gama’s first journey. |
Along the African coast
The Portuguese were already sailing along to northwestern African coast from the beginning of the fourteenth century. To avoid trading with Arab brokers, they tried to establish a trade route to the Kingdom of Mali, with its enormous gold reserves, themselves. Eventually, in the 1480s Diogo Cão was the first to reach the mouth of the Congo and present-day Namibia. There he placed a so-called padrão, a stone cross with the coat of arms of Portugal. His successors would do the same at notable points in Africa and Asia. After his return in Lisbon, the Portuguese began to think of reaching India by sailing around Africa. The next discoverer was Bartolomeu Dias who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 but he could not continue his journey because his crew rebelled and forced him to return to Portugal.
To Calicut and backAlmost ten years after Dias’ journey, King Manuel I of Portugal ordered Vasco da Gama to sail to India and to establish diplomatic and trade relations with the Indians. Da Gama’s three ships, the São Gabriel, the São Rafael and the Bérrio left Lisbon in July 1497. After what was the longest journey across the open ocean so far, they reached the South African St Helena Bay in November. There they met the Khoikhoi people. Initially the Portuguese and the Khoikhoi were on good terms with each other but after a few days this ended abruptly and both parties started to use force. More or less the same happened at Mossel Bay after Da Gama had rounded the Cape of Good Hope. It seemed clear that the Portuguese were not able to establish enduring relations with the Khoikhoi.
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The Portuguese were more succesful further north. In present-day southern Mozambique they met peoples at places which were called the Terra da Boa Gente ('Land of the Good People') and the Rio dos Bons Signaes ('River of the Good Singns') by the Portuguese. The latter derived its name from the fact that Da Gama realized that he had almost reached the extensive trade networks of the Indian Ocean. At Ilha de Moçambique ('Mozambique Island), one of the southernmost places along the Swahili coast, the Portuguese came in contact with traders who were trading with the Arabian Peninsula, Persia and India. However, distrust and religious differences led to skirmishes and the Portuguese got a bad reputation at the Swahili coast. In Mombasa Da Gama had a conflict with the local king so the Portuguese seemed to make hardly any friends at all in eastern Africa. Nevertheless, the King of Malindi showed much goodwill towards the Portuguese, probably because he had a conflict with the city of Mombasa. The king offered Da Gama a pilot who knew how to sail across the Arabian sea to reach India. On 24 April the São Gabriel, the São Rafael and the Bérrio left the city of Malindi with its white houses to set sail for India.
On 18 May 1498, the Portuguese finally saw the lofty mountains of India. Subsequently they went to the city of Calicut where they met
On 18 May 1498, the Portuguese finally saw the lofty mountains of India. Subsequently they went to the city of Calicut where they met
"two Moors from Tunis, who could speak Castilian and Genoese. The first greeting that he [a Portuguese] received was in these words: “May the Devil take thee! What brought you hither?” They asked what he sought so far away from home, and he told them that we came in search of Christians and spices. […] We were greatly astonished to hear his talk, for we never expected to hear our language spoken so far away from Portugal."
The local hindu ruler, who bore the title 'Zamorin', welcomed the Portuguese friendly. Throughout their stay in India, the Portuguese thought that Hinduism was a peculiar form of Christianity and they saw the Indians as potential allies. However, just like in Africa, relations only got worse. The Indian and Arab traders were hardly interested in Portuguese goods and after three month Da Gama decided to return to Lisbon. There were several hostilities and both parties kidnapped some men but eventually the Portuguese left in August.
The return journey turned out to be disastrous. Due to diseases Da Gama lost dozens of his men. After three months he finally reached Malindi where he erected a pillar to commemorate the friendship with the local king. Ultimately, Da Gama's two ships, one had to be burned because of a lack of crew, returned to Portugal in July and August 1499. |
Conclusion
Vasco da Gama expanded the Portuguese trade network from the Atlantic into the Indian Ocean World. After rounding the Cape of Good Hope Da Gama came in contact with several peoples who were, eventually, to a greater of lesser extent included in the Portuguese network. However, during his first journey to India Da Gama made more enemies than friends. Just the people in the Terra da Boa Gente, at the Rio dos Bons Signaes and in Malindi showed goodwill to the Portuguese, while hostilities broke out with the Khoikhoi, on Ilha de Moçambique, in Mombasa, in Calicut and several times with sailors at the Indian Ocean.
During the sixteenth century, the Khoikhoi and the peoples of southern Mozambique would not become part of the Portuguese network, while the peoples of the Swahili coast, the Arab traders and the Indians became important trading partners of the Portuguese. So in fact the Portuguese did not establish a new network in the Indian Ocean World. They merely infiltrated in the already existing networks along the Swahili coast and in India. Therefore, Vasco da Gama's importance is rather linking existing networks by discovering the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope than establishing new networks in the Indian Ocean World.
During the sixteenth century, the Khoikhoi and the peoples of southern Mozambique would not become part of the Portuguese network, while the peoples of the Swahili coast, the Arab traders and the Indians became important trading partners of the Portuguese. So in fact the Portuguese did not establish a new network in the Indian Ocean World. They merely infiltrated in the already existing networks along the Swahili coast and in India. Therefore, Vasco da Gama's importance is rather linking existing networks by discovering the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope than establishing new networks in the Indian Ocean World.
Further reading
A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama, 1497-1499. Ed. E.G. Ravenstein. Londen: Hakluyt Society, 1898.
Diffie, B.W. en G.D. Winius Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415-1580. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977.
Fernández-Armesto, Felipe. Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Meredith, Martin. The Fortunes of Africa. A 5,000-Year History of Wealth, Greed and Endeavour. London, New York, Sydney, Toronto and New Delhi: Simon & Schuster, 2014.
Subrahmanyam, Sanjay. The Career and Legend of Vasco da Gama. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Images
Image 1: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vasco_da_Gama_-_1838.png
Image 2: http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/21/144621-050-B67E1FE0.gif
Image 3: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pillar_of_Vasco_da_Gama.jpg
Diffie, B.W. en G.D. Winius Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415-1580. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977.
Fernández-Armesto, Felipe. Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Meredith, Martin. The Fortunes of Africa. A 5,000-Year History of Wealth, Greed and Endeavour. London, New York, Sydney, Toronto and New Delhi: Simon & Schuster, 2014.
Subrahmanyam, Sanjay. The Career and Legend of Vasco da Gama. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Images
Image 1: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vasco_da_Gama_-_1838.png
Image 2: http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/21/144621-050-B67E1FE0.gif
Image 3: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pillar_of_Vasco_da_Gama.jpg
D.v.d.G.