Demanding respect

Vasco da Gama’s first voyage to India in 1498 seemed to point the way toward

peaceful trade. Before he returned to Kozhikode, however, the tone of East-West

relations turned ugly.

Just two of da Gama’s four ships and 55 of his original crew of 177 survived the first

trip to India and back. Those were considered reasonable losses for the time,

especially for such a great breakthrough. King Manuel of Portugal was pleased. He

sponsored a second expedition led by Pedro Cabral in 1500. On his way down the

coast of Africa, Cabral veered so far west that he discovered Brazil. Cabral claimed it

for Portugal, giving King Manuel a piece of the New World in addition to the route to

Asia.

Cabral proceeded to round Africa and continue to Kozhikode, where he built on da

Gama’s work of winning trade privileges by negotiating a full commercial treaty with

the zamorin. When he left India, Cabral left a small group of Portuguese traders to

represent King Manuel’s interests. Although these traders had the zamorin’s permission

to stay, their presence angered Muslim merchants in the port city. They saw the

Europeans as cutting into their import-export business. A group of these Muslim

businessmen decided to fight back and attacked and killed the Portuguese.

When word of the murders reached Portugal, an enraged King Manuel faulted the

zamorin for failing to protect his ambassadors. Determined to show his displeasure, he

sent da Gama on yet another voyage to India in 1502. This time, the navigator

commanded a well-armed flotilla of ships.

Crossing the Arabian Sea toward India, da Gama intercepted a ship carrying Muslims

home from their pilgrimage to Mecca. Demonstrating a new, militant attitude, da

Gama demanded all the treasure onboard. After gathering the passengers’ money and

goods, the Portuguese burned the Arab ship and the hundreds of people onboard,

including women and children.

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