人生历程
Vasco da Gama was born around 1469 in the coastal town of Sines, in the Alentejo province of Portugal. His father Estevao da Gama was a minor nobleman who served as civil governor of Sines. The family had a tradition of service to the Portuguese crown and maritime exploration.
Young Vasco received education in mathematics and navigation, likely at Evora where he may have studied astronomy and navigation under the renowned Abraham Zacuto. These skills would prove essential for his future voyages and his ability to navigate using celestial observations.
Da Gama first came to royal attention when King John II sent him to seize French ships in Portuguese ports as retaliation for French piracy. He successfully completed this mission, demonstrating the naval and leadership skills that would later make him the choice for the India expedition.
King Manuel I came to power with a vision of Portuguese expansion into the Indian Ocean trade. He inherited plans for an expedition to India and chose Vasco da Gama to lead it, partly due to his proven ability and partly due to his family's loyal service to the crown.
On July 8, 1497, da Gama departed Lisbon with four ships and approximately 170 men. The fleet included the Sao Gabriel, Sao Rafael, Berrio, and a supply ship. This expedition would attempt what no European had achieved: reaching India by sea around Africa.
Instead of following the African coast, da Gama made a bold swing far into the Atlantic, spending 96 days without seeing land. This 'volta do mar' route caught favorable winds and currents, demonstrating innovative navigation that would become the standard route for future voyages.
In November 1497, da Gama successfully rounded the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa. Strong storms tested the fleet, but they pressed on into the Indian Ocean. The crew faced scurvy and dwindling supplies, yet morale held under da Gama's stern leadership.
After difficult encounters with hostile Arab traders at Mozambique and Mombasa, da Gama found a friendly reception at Malindi. The Sultan provided an experienced pilot, likely Ibn Majid, who knew the monsoon winds and guided the fleet across the Indian Ocean to India.
On May 20, 1498, da Gama's fleet anchored at Calicut on India's Malabar Coast, completing the first European voyage to India by sea. This momentous achievement connected Europe directly to the source of the spice trade and changed world history forever.
Da Gama's meetings with the Zamorin (ruler) of Calicut were troubled. The Portuguese gifts were considered insulting by Indian standards, and Arab merchants lobbied against them. Da Gama secured only a modest cargo of spices but gathered crucial intelligence about Indian trade.
The return journey was brutal. Contrary monsoons delayed departure, and scurvy killed half the crew. Da Gama's brother Paulo died near the Azores. Only two ships and 55 men of the original 170 completed the two-year journey, but they carried news that would reshape global trade.
Da Gama returned to Lisbon in September 1499 to a hero's welcome. King Manuel I granted him the title 'Admiral of the Indian Seas,' noble privileges, and substantial pensions. The spices brought back, though modest, sold for sixty times the expedition's cost.
Da Gama married Catarina de Ataide, a noblewoman from a distinguished family. They would have six sons and one daughter. The marriage connected him to powerful Portuguese noble families and consolidated his social position.
Da Gama commanded a fleet of 20 warships on his second voyage, with orders to establish Portuguese dominance by force. He bombarded Calicut, captured Arab ships, and in a notorious incident, burned a ship full of pilgrims returning from Mecca, killing hundreds.
Da Gama's second voyage successfully established Portuguese factories at Cochin and Cannanore, creating the foundation of the Portuguese commercial empire in India. He returned with enormous quantities of spices and treasures, cementing Portugal's position in the Indian Ocean trade.
King Manuel I made da Gama the first Count of Vidigueira, an unprecedented honor for someone not of royal blood. This title came with extensive lands and privileges, making the navigator one of Portugal's most prominent nobles.
King John III appointed da Gama as Viceroy of India to reform the corrupt colonial administration. Despite his age and preference for retirement, da Gama accepted this final mission. He departed with a fleet of 14 ships and arrived in Goa in September 1524.
Vasco da Gama died on December 24, 1524, in Cochin, India, possibly from malaria, just three months after arriving. His body was later returned to Portugal and interred in the Jeronimos Monastery. His voyages had opened the sea route to India, fundamentally transforming global trade and initiating the Age of European expansion into Asia.
