History · 2
Who was the first European to reach India by sea?
Answer
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, became the first European to reach India by sea in 1498, when his fleet sailed around Africa's Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean. This voyage proved that a direct maritime route to Asia existed, bypassing the land-based Silk Road routes that Arab and Muslim traders had dominated. Da Gama's discovery enabled Portugal to establish a profitable spice trade and eventually European dominance over Asian commerce for centuries.
💡 Did you know?
Da Gama's sea route to India bypassed centuries of intermediaries and overland trade, allowing Europeans to directly access Asian spices at lower prices.
Other options people guess
- Marco Polo
- Christopher Columbus
- Ferdinand Magellan
Topics
- exploration
- india
- portugal
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