9,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: 50Minutes.com
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Serie: History
- Sprache: Englisch
Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the life of Vasco da Gama in next to no time with this concise guide.
50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the maritime voyages of Vasco da Gama. In a daring voyage in the late 15th century, Vasco da Gama became the first European to reach India by sea. The new trading route he opened brought wealth to the Portuguese Crown and resulted in profound geopolitical changes in Europe and Asia, but his voyages were also marked by intense cruelty towards the indigenous inhabitants he encountered.
In just 50 minutes you will:
• Understand why the spice trade was so important in 15th and 16th century Europe
• Learn about Da Gama’s three expeditions to India and their aims and outcomes
• Evaluate the political and economic impact of his voyages, both in Portugal and in India
ABOUT 50MINUTES.COM | History & Culture
50MINUTES.COM will enable you to quickly understand the main events, people, conflicts and discoveries from world history that have shaped the world we live in today. Our publications present the key information on a wide variety of topics in a quick and accessible way that is guaranteed to save you time on your journey of discovery.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Seitenzahl: 24
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
Ähnliche
Vasco da Gama
Key information
Born: 1460 or 1469 in Sines, Portugal.Died: 1524 in Cochin, India.Aim of the expedition: to discover a maritime route to India and find spices.Regions of the world explored:First voyage (1497-1499): South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Somalia and India.Second voyage (1502-1503): Mozambique, Kenya and India.Third voyage (1524): India.Main achievement: the establishment of a direct maritime route from Europe to India and Asia by sailing around Africa.Introduction
Along with Christopher Columbus (Genoese navigator, 1451-1506) and Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese navigator, 1480-1521), Vasco da Gama is one of the most famous European explorers of his time. This Portuguese navigator was born in the 1460s and was the first person to open up a direct maritime route connecting Europe and Asia. After sailing around Africa, he reached the Western coast of India in the late 15th century, which had major consequences for the spice trade. Indeed, until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, exotic goods, such as silk and some food products, had been transported to Europe by the Italian maritime republics which traded with Arab merchants. However, the growth of the Ottoman Empire and the rise in taxes on exchanges gradually jeopardised this trade, which drove the European nations to obtain spice supplies directly from their source.
This was the context in which Vasco da Gama embarked on his three maritime voyages to Asia and India. He had a diverse range of motivations, including in particular exploration, the defence of Portuguese interests and the administration of Portuguese India. Although he faced some obstacles on the way, he managed to lay the foundations of the Portuguese Empire by establishing several trading posts.
Biography
Portrait of Vasco da Gama by Antoine Maurin, c. 1835.
In service of the Portuguese Crown
Vasco da Gama was born in either 1460 or 1469 in the small coastal village of Sines, south-west Portugal. His parents, Estêvão da Gama and Isabel Sodré, came from families of the lower Portuguese nobility and had three sons and a daughter.
When it was time to begin his studies, da Gama left his hometown for Évora in the south of Portugal. As a young man, he served the interests of the Portuguese Crown and took part in a series of conflicts in North Africa. In 1492, he led a small naval expedition, and five years later he was chosen to establish the first trade route to the Indies. It is difficult to determine precisely why he was chosen for this position, as only a small amount of information about his youth has survived.
