Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who discovered a sea route from Europe to India in 1498, sailing around the southern tip of Africa. Over three voyages from 1497 to 1524, he established Portugal as a colonial power in Asia and Africa. Da Gama came from a noble family and was well-educated. On his first voyage, he reached India and returned to Portugal with valuable trade goods. His subsequent voyages further expanded Portuguese trade and colonial possessions in the East. Da Gama died in 1524 while attempting to replace an incompetent viceroy in Portuguese India.

1. VASCO DA GAMA
(1469 – 1524)

2. Biography of the life of Vasco
Da Gama
o Nationality - Portuguese
o Lifespan - 1469 – 1524 (55 years)
o Family - Father was Estevao da
Gama a Portuguese noble and
Courtier
o Education - Well educated befitting
his status
o Career - Explorer and Navigator
o Famous for : Discovered an sea
route from Portugal to the East,
assumed to be impossible feat as it

3. Early Life
o Vasco da Gama was born in Sines,
Province of Alemtejo, Portugal
o He came from a noble Portuguese
family and his father was a
distinguished soldier who attended
the Portuguese court
o Vasco da Gama was well educated
as befitted his status and he had
been taught several languages,
physics, geometry, mathematics and

4. First Voyage
o Sent by King John II
o Started on 8th July,1497
o It consists of 4 ships and a crew
of 179
o 22 November 1497- Sailed around
the Cape of Good Hope
o 25 December 1497- Reached the
coast of Natal
o January 1498 - Reached the mouth
of the Zambezi
o 20 May 1498 - Reached India
o 5 October 1498 - Sets sail for
home

7. Second Voyage
o Sent by King Manuel I
o Started on 12th February 1502
o It consists of 20 war ships
o In this voyage :
o Engaged in privateer actions
against Arab merchant ships
o Destroyed a Calicut fleet of
29 ships
o Extracted favorable trading
concessions
o Returned home in 1503

8. Third Voyage
o Sent by King John III
o Started in 1524
o Aim is to replace the incompetent
Eduardo De
Menezes as viceroy of the
Portuguese possessions
o Contracted Malaria and died on 24th
December, 1524
o Body was 1st buried at St.Francis
Church at Kochi
o Later, his remains were returned
to Portugal in 1539
o The Monastery of Hieronymites was
erected in the honor of his voyage

9. Tomb of Vasco Da Gama

10. His Contributions
o Found a sea route to India
o Responsible for Portugal's success as an
colonizing power
o His voyages proved vital to maintain
national trade routes to the far east.

11. •