Discoverers Web: The Portuguese in Asia

The first voyages to India

Around 1300, several European voyagers had travelled to southern Asia and Europe (see The medieval period), but a few decades later, these voyages had ended again (although with a number of exceptions, see for example Niccolo de Conti). During the fifteenth century, the Portuguese started voyages along the African coast (see The coast of Africa). In 1487, these voyages had gone so far that king John felt that the Portuguese might soon sail the Indian Ocean to India. To explore the regions they would then go to, Diego de Covilhão and Alfonso de Paiva were sent out. De Paiva went to the Christian kingdom of Ethiopia, while Covilhão explored the coasts of East Africa and India. Back in Egypt, Covilhão was sent to Ethiopia to take over the task of De Paiva, who had died. In Ethiopia, the emperor would not let him go, and Covilhão remained in Ethiopia until his death, several decades later.

Around the same time that Covilhão made his voyage, Bartolomeu Diaz had discovered the south coast of Africa, and in 1497, Vasco da Gama was sent out to lead the first Portuguese voyage to India. He chose a new, better route to South Africa, making a large sweep across the Atlantic, which at some time actually brought him closer to South America than to Africa. Next, he followed the east coast northward to Malindi. There he managed to get a learned Arab guide, Ibn Malid, who guided his ship to Calicut in India. Here Da Gama tried to trade, although this was not easy because of the small value of his merchandize, and the opposition of Muslim traders. In the end, he managed to get an invitation to trade from the zamorin, the local king.

Da Gama returned to Portugal in 1499, and the next year a new expedition was sent to India, this time led by Pedro Alvares Cabral. He made an even larger detour across the Atlantic than Da Gama, and discovered Brasil. In Calicut, Arab traders were hostile again, and killed a large number of Portuguese. In reaction, Da Gama bombarded the city. In Cochin, further south, he had a succesful trade.

In 1502, Da Gama left for his second voyage, showing extreme cruelty. He plundered a number of East African cities. Most notorious is his taking of the Arab ship Meri. After having taken all its valuables, he deliberately caused the ship to sink with all 300 passengers on board, most of them pilgrims going to Mecca. In India, he filled his ships with spiceries.

Still, king Manuel felt that sending trading and pirating expedition to the East would not be enough. Portugal should get a permanent presence in India, and try to control the trade of the region. For this purpose, a viceroy was appointed; the first such viceroy was Francisco de Almeida, from 1505 to 1508. He set up his headquarters in Cochin, and fought with the sultan of Egypt and Indian rulers. In 1508, he won the important sea battle of Diu, establishing the Portuguese as a major power in the region.

Around the same time, a Venetian traveller, Ludovico di Varthema, was travelling through southern Asia. He had travelled to Asia by way of Egypt, and was one of the first Europeans to visit Mecca, then travelled on to India, Burma, Malacca and the islands of what is now Indonesia. He was the first European to visit the Moluccas. Returning to India, he may have told about his travels to the Portuguese, and be part of the reason for them to extend their influence to the East. He returned to Europe on a Portuguese ship around the Cape.

In 1508, Almeida was succeeded by Afonso D'Albequerque, who is considered the most important and greatest of the Portuguese viceroys in India. By conquering Socotra and Hormuz, he gave Portugal some control over the trade between India and the Mediterranean. He also conquered the city of Goa in India, which he intended to be the new Portuguese headquarters, but because the Portuguese hold on the city remained tenuous, this was not actually put into practice until 1530. Another important step Albuquerque took was the extension of the Portuguese power towards the west, by the conquest of Malacca in 1511. Malacca was the most important port on the route from India to Indonesia and China, and by taking it, the Portuguese at once took control of a large part of the trade on this route.

After having taken Malacca, Albuquerque sent out the first Portuguese expedition to the Moluccas, led by Antonio de Abreu. One of his captains, Francisco Serrão, shipwrecked on the island of Ternate, and remained there until his death. Serrao was a friend of Fernão de Magelhães, who later captained the first voyage around the world for the Spanish.

Albequerque died in 1515, but the expansion of the Portuguese trading empire in the east went on. They reached China in 1517 and Borneo in 1524, while in 1542 some Portuguese shipwrecked on the coast of Japan. The next year, the first official Portuguese trading fleet visited the island empire.

Related subjects

More detailed information: Other websites: What came before:

What followed

The explorers

Antonio de Abreu (Portugal, dates unkown)
1511-1512: Captain of the first Portuguese expedition to the Moluccas.
Hermann Mückler: Abreu, Antonio de (in German)

Afonso de Albuquerque (Portugal, 1453-1515)
Second and greatest of the Portuguese viceroys of India (1509-1515). Conquers Hormuz (1507), Goa (1510) and Malakka (1511), and sends out the first Portuguese to the Moluccas.
Na Crista da Onda: Afonso de Albuquerque - o Terribil (in Portuguese)
Catholic Encyclopedia: Afonzo de Albuquerque

Francisco de Almeida (Portugal, 1450?-1510)
1505-1509: First Portuguese viceroy of India.
1509: Gains a decisive victory over a Muslim fleet in the naval battle of Diu.
Mumbai/Bombay web pages: Francisco de Almeida

Pedro Álvares Cabral (Portugal, 1467?-1520?)
1500-1501: Commander of the second Portuguese expedition to India. While crossing the Atlantic, discovers Brazil. Visits Calicut and trades in Cochin and Cannanore.
Vidas Lusófonas: Pedro Álvares Cabral (in Portuguese)
Catholic Encyclopedia: Pedralvarez Cabral
Publius Historicus: Pedro Alvares Cabral (in French)
Afonso de Albuquerque: Letter on behalf of Cabral
Nicollò de Conti (Venice, 1395?-1469)
1414-44: From Syria travels through Baghdad to Hormuz. Visits India, being the first European to enter the Indian interior, Ceylon, the Andaman Islands, Burma, Bengal, Sumatra, Java and possibly China. Via Ciampa (Thailand), Ceylon, India, Arabia, Egypt and the Sinai returns to Italy.

Pêro de Covilhão (also known as Pedro de Covilham, Portugal, dates unknown)
1487: Sent out to gather information on the area around the Indian Ocean. Pretending to be an Arab trader, travels from Alexandria to Aden, India, the Persian Gulf, Arabia and East Africa and visits Mecca and Medina.
1492: Back in Alexandria he is sent to Abessynia (Ethiopia). He remains there for the rest of his life, which is at least until 1524.

Vasco da Gama (Portugal, 1460?-1524)
1497-9: Leader of the first Portuguese expedition to India. Finds a new route over the Atlantic Ocean, taking a great bend to the west instead of following the African coast.
1502-4: Leader of a large expedition to the Indies. Attacks several African cities and kills all passengers on a ship filled with pilgrims from Mecca. Trades in Cochin and attacks Calicut.
1524: Sent to India to battle corruption, but dies of illness a few months after arrival.
Na Crista da Onda: Vasco da Gama (in Portuguese)
Catholic Encyclopedia: Vasco da Gama
University of Calgary Applied History Group: The Sea-route to India
Publius Historicus: Vasco da Gama - Les origines de la colonisation de l'Inde (in French)
Project X (uses Java)
Brian Elliott: The Voyage to India and Those Who Influenced It
Frederick Noronha: Vasco da Gama through Portuguese eyes
Michelle Mejiak: Vasco da Gama arrives in India
Portuguese Consulate in Cape Town: The voyage of Vasco da Gama
CNCDP: Vasco da Gama - 500 anos (in Portuguese)
Old News: Vasco da Gamma Seeks Sea Route to India
Vasco da Gama: Journal (parts)

Diogo Lopes de Sequeira (also known as Diego Lopez de Sequira, Portugal, ?-1520?)
1509: Leader of the first Portuguese expedition to visit Malacca.

Jorge de Meneses (Portugal)
1526: Discovers New Guinea.
Hermann Mückler: Meneses, Jorge de (in German)

Francisco Serrão (Portugal, dates unknown)
1511: Takes part in the first Portuguese expedition to the Moluccas. Shipwrecks, but is saved by the inhabitants of Ternate, where he decides to remain for the rest of his life.
Hermann Mückler: Serrão, Francisco (in German)

Ludovico di Varthema (Venice, dates unknown)
1502-9: Travels from Europe to Egypt, takes part in the pilgrimage to Mecca, visits India, Burma, the Moluccas and other Indonesian islands, and returns around the Cape of Good Hope.
Leigh Rayment: Ludovico di Varthema

St. Franciscus Xavier (Spain,1506-1552)
Jesuit monk, direct pupil of Ignatius of Loyola.
1542: Establishes a mission post in Goa.
1545: Travels to Malacca and the Moluccas.
1549: Does missionary work in Japan.
1552: Dies waiting for permission to proselyze in China.
Jose Colaco: St. Francisco Xavier - his life and times
University of Calgary Applied History Group: The European Voyages of Exploration: St. Francis Xavier
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Francis Xavier
Catholic Online Saints: St. Francis Xavier
Francis Britto: All about Francis Xavier (links)