Vasco Da Gamas Effect on the World

By: Nathan Saar

In this paper I will analyze European explorer, Vasco da Gamas effect on the rest of the
world. The Age of Exploration was the time period when Vasco da Gama and many other famous
explorers discovered other parts of the world while in search of new trading partners, new
trading routes, and new goods. Success during the Age of Exploration was usually measured by
the fame and fortune the explorer received if they returned, but what the explorer did while they
were on their voyage is the only factor that still matters. I argue that Vasco da Gama made the
biggest impact on the rest of the world due to his explorations and voyages. Many explorers that
conducted voyages during the Age of Exploration were successful as well, making a decent
argument against Vasco da Gama and his crew. Explorers such as Christopher Columbus,
Ferdinand Magellan, and Bartolomeu Dias (Many credit Dias with starting Vasco da Gamas
voyage) are all well-known and famous explorers around the same time da Gama sailed to India.
I will prove his success by backing up how his discovery a new trade route to India affected the
Age of Exploration, how he made Portugal into a major power, and what impact he had on
religion. Vasco da Gama, being one of the most well-known European explorers, still had an
extreme amount of importance on the rest of the world, despite being a hero in his own country.
First I seek to show how Vasco da Gama impacted the world (especially Europe) by
sailing a whole new part of Africa and discovering an extremely important trade route to India.
Vasco da Gama started his first of two voyages in 1497, hoping to continue Bartolomeu Dias
voyage around the Cape of Good Hope. Obviously da Gama was successful on his voyage,
reaping many benefits by discovering this new passage to India. As stated in an article found on
www.newworldencyclopedia.org Da Gama's voyage was successful in establishing a sea route

from Europe to India that would permit trade with the Far East, without the use of the costly and
unsafe Silk Road caravan routes of the Middle East and Central Asia. In the quote from the
passage it states that because da Gama discovered this new trade route, the dangerous Silk Road
which was previously used for trading did not have to be relied on. This is important because not
only an easier route was found, but many lives could be saved because the journey was not on
foot and took not nearly as long as the Silk Road Journey. Da Gama returned from his voyage
around the Cape of Good Hope to the Portuguese people welcoming him as a hero and was also
given the title Admiral of the Indian Ocean. He was given so much fame because he had
brought to the fruition plan that had taken eighty years. Da Gama affected the whole world
through this new discovery of an extremely important trade route, making him the most
important explorer of this time.
Next I will discuss how Vasco da Gama helped start Portugals golden age and gain
dominance over Europe. Not only did da Gamas voyage open up a wide range of possibilities of
exploration around the world, it brought an age of prosperity to his home country, Portugal. In an
article found on www.newworldencyclopedia.org it states Nevertheless, da Gama's initial
journey led directly to a several-hundred year era of European domination through sea power and
commerce, and 450 years of Portuguese colonialism in India that brought wealth and power to
the Portuguese throne. This statement gives the facts and evidence that da Gama not only
brought success to himself and the world of exploration, but to his home land as well. This is
important because countries send out explorers in hope to gain prosperity, wealth, and power in
the name of trade. With da Gamas new discovery of this trade route, Portugal would be able to
control it and prosper from other nations using it through trade outposts. Da Gama set up these
trading outposts when he reached India, leaving a few members of his crew behind to manage

these outposts. Although many members of da Gamas crew were killed, and he only returned
with half of the ships that he had set out with, his voyage was still a major success in bringing
home the gold for his home country.
Finally, I will prove the impact Vasco da Gama had on religion while he sailed through
various parts of the world. It is important to know that da Gama was set on converting many
different groups to Christianity. As stated in an article on www.newworldencyclopedia.org
During his journeys, Da Gama always tried to convert the Indians to Christianity. He brought
monks along with him in his journeys to preach. He would be very cruel to Muslims who didn't
listen and would often use torture. For this he was often thought of as very cruel by the Indians.
As shown in the statement, obviously da Gama was set on converting these foreign religions to
his beliefs. Da Gama was not always successful in converting different religions, but many times
he was able to convert others, even if it was through violence. Commissioned by King Manuel I,
da Gama was to set out to gain access to commercial markets and expand trade routes, but he
was also given the task to convert natives he came across to Christianity. With the spread of
Christianity, Portugals rule over these areas would be a lot easier with the majority of people
under the same belief system. Although, the spread of religion was not the main goal of da
Gamas voyage, he still accomplished it, bringing even more success to his legacy.
Out of all the explorers during the Age of Exploration, Vasco da Gama made the largest
impact out of all of them. Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the world, Christopher Columbus
discovered the New World, and Bartolomeu Dias sailed around the most southern tip of Africa,
all of which were important. What sets da Gama apart from the rest is that he made more of an
impact than any of these explorers did in their lifetime. Da Gama not only discovered a new,
important, trade route to India, he also brought prosperity to his country and helped change the

religious beliefs of people around the world. Not many explorers accomplished as much as da
Gama did in one voyage and da Gama went on three. Da Gama died on his third voyage to India
of Malaria, and the Monastery of the Hieronymites in Belm, Lisbon was erected in his name.
Vasco da Gama did make the biggest impact on the world through his explorations. Da Gamas
name will forever live on as one of the most successful explorers to have ever sailed the seas.