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Opening of the Portuguese Spice Route
In 1497–1498 Vasco da Gama led a Portuguese fleet around the Cape of Good Hope to Calicut in India, successfully opening a sea route to the spice lan…
Timeline
- 1497Lisbon · PortugalVasco da Gama set out from Lisbon with four ships and about 170 men, sailing south along the West African coast with the aim of reaching the spice-producing regions of India by sea.
- 1497–1498Cape of Good Hope · Cape PeninsulaThe fleet rounded the Cape of Good Hope in November 1497, sailed north along the East African coast, and received pilot assistance at Mombasa, Malindi, and other ports before entering the Arabian Sea.
- 1498Calicut · Malabar CoastOn 20 May 1498 the fleet reached Calicut in India, made contact with the Zamorin, and attempted trade. Although the first direct trading results were limited, the voyage proved the feasibility of reaching the spice lands by sea and laid the foundation for Portugal's subsequent dominance of the Indian Ocean.
Sources
- A History of Portuguese Overseas Expansion, 1400–1668 — Malyn Newitt (2005)
- Vasco da Gama https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vasco-da-Gama