Before talking about who discovered India, one should understand why Europeans generally began to ask questions of finding a new way to this distant country. The main reason was that the Mongols conquered almost all the important points on the Great Silk Road one by one. Trade relations for the conquerors were not priority, and therefore by the end of the 13th century. trade with China and India has become much more complicated for Europe. The Arab merchants who profited on it as best they could were in charge of it.
First attempts to find another way to India
Immediately after Saint-Jean d'Acre, the last bastion of Europe in the East, fell, Genoa began to equip an expedition to search the sea route to India. In two galleys, equipped with food supplies, fresh water and everything necessary, the Vivaldi brothers set off. According to the plan, first they were supposed to arrive in Ceuta (Morocco), and from there go to the ocean in order to find Indian countries and acquire the desired valuable goods there. There is no reliable data confirming whether sailors managed to reach the coast of India. However, already at the beginning of the 14th century. rather accurate outlines of Africa begin to appear on the maps, which suggests that they managed to at least bypass the hot continent from the south.
The famous expedition of Vasco da Gama
Some researchers still call the Vivaldi brothers the ones who discovered India. However, official data diverge from this statement, and Vasco da Gama is considered the sole discoverer of the sea route to the East.
For a century after the Vivaldi expedition, Spain and Portugal sent ships one by one, but not one of the travelers was successful. In the summer of 1497, on the orders of Manuel I, who had just ascended to the Portuguese throne, the next flotilla was prepared to find a way to India. The monarch entrusted the command of four ships to Commander Vasco da Gamay, a literate and intelligent man who was sophisticated in palace intrigues, who, according to Manuel I, could have been able to cope with the task assigned to him. And he was not mistaken, because it was Vasco da Gama who is now known to us as the one who discovered India.
Preparation for the expedition, from the beginning to the very departure, was directed by Bartolomeo Diash, a man who, in 1488, although he did not open the sea route to India, reached the extreme point of Africa, which was called Cape Storms with his light hand (later renamed Cape of Good Hope )
The experience gained by Diash turned out to be very useful. In particular, it was he who helped design the new ships for the trip, since, in his opinion, ordinary caravels for such a serious voyage were categorically not suitable.
The last preparations were completed, and on July 8, 1497, the Vasco da Gama expedition set off on a long journey. On the sides of the four ships were assembled 170 of the best sailors of Portugal. Many people knew the beginning of the journey by swimming with Diash. All vessels were equipped with the best navigation equipment at that time, the team had the most accurate maps. At the initial stages, Diash accompanied the flotilla, and already near the Cape Verde islands he went ashore.
The Vasco da Gama expedition was forced to make a huge detour in order to bypass the calm strip in the Gulf of Guinea. The expedition met Christmas in 1497 while sailing along the eastern coast of Africa. At that time, out of 4 ships, only three remained: one sank near the Cape of Good Hope. The southwestern current greatly impeded the calm movement to the north, and therefore swimming was not easy.
However, on March 2, 1498, the expedition successfully reached Mozambique. Here, those who discovered India later had a rather unpleasant incident with the local ruler. Despite the fact that the Portuguese did not spare the funds to equip the expedition, they miscalculated greatly with gifts. As a result, instead of establishing relations with the Mozambique Sultan, the Europeans further worsened them and were forced to leave these places as soon as possible.
The expedition of da Gama found the next refuge in Mombassa, but even there the people were not welcomed too warmly. And only in the third port, called Malindi, the team was able to relax, gain strength. The local ruler reacted to the Portuguese as well as possible and even brought da Gama to Ahmed Ibn Majida - his best navigator. Ibn Majid proceeded with an expedition to its final destination.
The solemn event - the discovery of India - occurred on May 20, 1498. It was then that the flotilla arrived at the port of Calicut. However, relations between the Portuguese and the local prince and Muslim merchants, too, were not doing well. Another conflict forced da Gama to leave the port, without even waiting for a tailwind.
However, the original goal was achieved, and Vasco da Gama remained in the history of mankind to those who opened the way to India by sea.