- William Logan
INTRODUCTION
Vasco da Gama landed at Pantalayani near Kozhikode in 1498. It
was the first time the Europeans came to India.
It was the beginning of the colonial mercantilism and colonisation of
India. The Portuguese became the rulers of India in 1505 and
remained in power in some places in India until 1961.
The following extract describes the journey of Gama to Kerala
and his association with the Zamorins, the monarchs ale
(Samuthiris) of Kozhikode.
Vassco da Gama's fleet started its journey from Belem near Lisbon
on 25 March 1497.
1. The San Raphael - The captain of San Raphael was Vasco da
Gama - could carry 100 tons
2. San Gabriel - San Gabriel was under his brother Paulo da Gama -
120 tons
3. The San Miguel - San Miguel was commanded by Nicholas Coelho
- 50 tons
Each ship had 80 men - officers, seamen and servants.
After travelling for about 5 months, the fleet reached Helena Bay
South Africa, on 18 August 1497
In December 1497 they encountered a storm and the crews rose in
mutiny.
, They, saw the coast of Natal, on Christmas Day.
On 6 January 1498, the fleet entered the River of Meray and there
they remained for a month, they dismantled the San Miguel and the
crew was distributed between the other two.
Coelho himself went with Vasco da Gama. By the end of March, the
two ships reached Mozambique.
On 21" April they reached Mombasa and on 29th April Melinde.
They stayed in Melinde for 3 months.
The king of Melinde was happy to receive the Portuguese. He gave
those pilots and a broker to help them in trade. It was the broker's
advice that made Gama sail to Calicut.
They left Melinde on 6th August 1498 and saw the coast of
Malabar on 26th August.
The pilots informed Gama the first land to be seen would be a great
mountain in the Kingdom of Kannur. The local people call it Delielly or
Mount Dely because in this mountain there were so many rats that
they could never make a village there.
Running down the coast from Mount Deli, the ships passed Kannur
without stopping. It was described as a large town of thatched houses.
The arrival of the Portuguese aroused great jealousy among the Moors,
who had the Red Sea and Persian Gulf trade with Europe in their
hands.
There were three persons in authority under the Zamorin
1. The Overseer of the Treasury
2. The king's Justice
3. The Chief Officer of the Palace Guard.
The first two of these were bribed by the Moors to obstruct the new
comers.
, Da Gama sent Nicholas Coelho with a message to the Zamoun asking
him to sanction trade. The authorities made him wait for a long time in
an effort to make him angry and go away.
Somehow Coel was wamed by a Castilian that the authorities would try
to offend him So, Coelho exercised patience.
He insisted that he will give the message only to the king himself.
Finally he was admitted and the king gave him the sanction he wanted.
The agreement to open trade was written on a palm leaf.
Trade began, but the Portuguese were supplied with low quality stuff
and that too very little.
Gama decided to visit the Zamorin in person and demanded hostages
for his safe conduct
So he sent a messenger with presents for the king.
He went with 12 men who were well dressed and appeared smart.
Gama was specially dressed for the occasion.
About king
The king was sitting in his chair. He was a very dark man, half naked,
and clothed with white clothes from the middle to the knees. One of
these clothes had a long point on which there were several gold rings
and large rubies. Round his neck was a string of pearls. He had a
bracelet on his arm. The king had long dark hair all gathered up and
tied on top of his head. His ears were pierced and were covered with
gold ear rings. There were two pages (boys). One held a drawn sword
and other held a gold cup for the king to spit. A Brahmin stood near the
chair of the king and from time to time he gave the king a green leaf
closely folded with other things inside. The king chewed it and spat into
the gold cup held by the page.
, The interview would have had the expected result, but the Moors
bribed the Chief Officer of the Palace Guard.
He was an official of great power. If anybody entered the place where
the king lived, he could cut off his head without asking the king's
permission. This man created problems for Gama.
Gama was at this factory after his interview with the king, when the
Chief Officer of the Palace Guard came there with a palanquin. He said
that he had come to take Da Gama for a second interview with the king.
Gama, happy with his success of the first interview, believed the story.
8 men carrying sticks were to accompany him. Gama was then
carried off in the palanquin The Portuguese had been earlier allowed
to erect a factory on shore for trading purposes.
Then they were lodged in a house in the middle of other houses.
They were given boiled rice and boiled fish and a jar of water.
Next morning the doors were opened very late. Only those who
wanted to go to the toilet were allowed to go out of the house. They
remained there a day and another night. On the next day they were
taken to a bush. It was very hot. When they reached a river they were
put into two Indian boats.
The boat with Da Gama reached some houses where rice was
cooked and offered to them. The other boat with five men in it
remained behind but at night they also came and they were put into
another house.
INTRODUCTION
Vasco da Gama landed at Pantalayani near Kozhikode in 1498. It
was the first time the Europeans came to India.
It was the beginning of the colonial mercantilism and colonisation of
India. The Portuguese became the rulers of India in 1505 and
remained in power in some places in India until 1961.
The following extract describes the journey of Gama to Kerala
and his association with the Zamorins, the monarchs ale
(Samuthiris) of Kozhikode.
Vassco da Gama's fleet started its journey from Belem near Lisbon
on 25 March 1497.
1. The San Raphael - The captain of San Raphael was Vasco da
Gama - could carry 100 tons
2. San Gabriel - San Gabriel was under his brother Paulo da Gama -
120 tons
3. The San Miguel - San Miguel was commanded by Nicholas Coelho
- 50 tons
Each ship had 80 men - officers, seamen and servants.
After travelling for about 5 months, the fleet reached Helena Bay
South Africa, on 18 August 1497
In December 1497 they encountered a storm and the crews rose in
mutiny.
, They, saw the coast of Natal, on Christmas Day.
On 6 January 1498, the fleet entered the River of Meray and there
they remained for a month, they dismantled the San Miguel and the
crew was distributed between the other two.
Coelho himself went with Vasco da Gama. By the end of March, the
two ships reached Mozambique.
On 21" April they reached Mombasa and on 29th April Melinde.
They stayed in Melinde for 3 months.
The king of Melinde was happy to receive the Portuguese. He gave
those pilots and a broker to help them in trade. It was the broker's
advice that made Gama sail to Calicut.
They left Melinde on 6th August 1498 and saw the coast of
Malabar on 26th August.
The pilots informed Gama the first land to be seen would be a great
mountain in the Kingdom of Kannur. The local people call it Delielly or
Mount Dely because in this mountain there were so many rats that
they could never make a village there.
Running down the coast from Mount Deli, the ships passed Kannur
without stopping. It was described as a large town of thatched houses.
The arrival of the Portuguese aroused great jealousy among the Moors,
who had the Red Sea and Persian Gulf trade with Europe in their
hands.
There were three persons in authority under the Zamorin
1. The Overseer of the Treasury
2. The king's Justice
3. The Chief Officer of the Palace Guard.
The first two of these were bribed by the Moors to obstruct the new
comers.
, Da Gama sent Nicholas Coelho with a message to the Zamoun asking
him to sanction trade. The authorities made him wait for a long time in
an effort to make him angry and go away.
Somehow Coel was wamed by a Castilian that the authorities would try
to offend him So, Coelho exercised patience.
He insisted that he will give the message only to the king himself.
Finally he was admitted and the king gave him the sanction he wanted.
The agreement to open trade was written on a palm leaf.
Trade began, but the Portuguese were supplied with low quality stuff
and that too very little.
Gama decided to visit the Zamorin in person and demanded hostages
for his safe conduct
So he sent a messenger with presents for the king.
He went with 12 men who were well dressed and appeared smart.
Gama was specially dressed for the occasion.
About king
The king was sitting in his chair. He was a very dark man, half naked,
and clothed with white clothes from the middle to the knees. One of
these clothes had a long point on which there were several gold rings
and large rubies. Round his neck was a string of pearls. He had a
bracelet on his arm. The king had long dark hair all gathered up and
tied on top of his head. His ears were pierced and were covered with
gold ear rings. There were two pages (boys). One held a drawn sword
and other held a gold cup for the king to spit. A Brahmin stood near the
chair of the king and from time to time he gave the king a green leaf
closely folded with other things inside. The king chewed it and spat into
the gold cup held by the page.
, The interview would have had the expected result, but the Moors
bribed the Chief Officer of the Palace Guard.
He was an official of great power. If anybody entered the place where
the king lived, he could cut off his head without asking the king's
permission. This man created problems for Gama.
Gama was at this factory after his interview with the king, when the
Chief Officer of the Palace Guard came there with a palanquin. He said
that he had come to take Da Gama for a second interview with the king.
Gama, happy with his success of the first interview, believed the story.
8 men carrying sticks were to accompany him. Gama was then
carried off in the palanquin The Portuguese had been earlier allowed
to erect a factory on shore for trading purposes.
Then they were lodged in a house in the middle of other houses.
They were given boiled rice and boiled fish and a jar of water.
Next morning the doors were opened very late. Only those who
wanted to go to the toilet were allowed to go out of the house. They
remained there a day and another night. On the next day they were
taken to a bush. It was very hot. When they reached a river they were
put into two Indian boats.
The boat with Da Gama reached some houses where rice was
cooked and offered to them. The other boat with five men in it
remained behind but at night they also came and they were put into
another house.
