Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese nobleman who sailed from Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, in 1497. He was chosen by Portugal's King Manuel I to find a maritime route to to India. Portugal required access to India so that they could participate in the spice trade of the Far East. A land route was not possible due to the Muslim occupation of the Arabian Peninsula.
Da Gama traveled south along the coast of Africa before rounding the Cape of Good Hope and heading back north along the eastern coast. After multiple stops in Africa, da Gama finally reached Calicut, India, in 1498.
At many of da Gama's stops, his attempts at trade were not welcomed. The goods he brought to trade were not of significant enough value. Despite this, da Gama was able to return to Portugal with peppercorns, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The journey back to Portugal was difficult, and many lives were lost to scurvy. Da Gama was hailed as a hero upon his return, and an attempt to replicate his journey was made immediately under Pedro Alvares Cabral. Following Cabral's voyage, da Gama returned to India in 1502 and secured an alliance with the ruler of Cochin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/vasco_da_gama_01.shtml
Da Gama set out from Portugal and sailed around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope. Da Gama reached Calicut, India, where he traded with local Hindus whom he mistook for Christians. He loaded his ships with valuable spices, but Muslim traders in the area forced him to barter the spices for sailing provisions in order to get back home. These spices were unique to the Asian market—peppercorns and cinnamon among many others—as Calicut was a major trading port for the entire region. The spices fetched a large price back in Portugal and made da Gama a hero even though he lost considerable numbers of men due to scurvy. Da Gama made a second voyage on which he attacked Muslims living in Calicut and made Portugal a major trading partner in the region. Da Gama would finish his career as an explorer while serving as a viceroy in India.
https://www.livescience.com/39078-vasco-da-gama.html
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