Who was Vasco da Gama and why did he come to India via Sea?

In 1498 on today's date, it was the first time he visited India. Two years after 1948, he reached the Western sea coast of India at Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala by sailing from Lisbon. There were no European before him who came to India via the route of the sea. He first discovered that there is a sea route via the Cape of Good Hope to reach East Europe from its Western side.

Before the sea route was invented, trading used to take place through land routes. The trade was even carried out through the Arab merchants. These Arab merchants used to sell the precious goods to the Venetians who further moved to build trading relations with the European nations.

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The European nations had to bear huge expenses for traveling through the land to India. And they were always interested in trading with India that is rich in spices and wealth. So they were all in search of a direct route to India. Few years after1492, the voyage to India was permitted and Gama was appointed as the expedition's leader. The planning was to reach India via the African continent.

St. Helena, near the south of Africa, was the first where the fleet hit, then Mozambique and finally Malindi, East Africa.

On 20th May 1498, the fleet reached Kapad near Kozhikode. The place was under the control of the Zamorin Kingdom, Calicut. Vasco da Gama was against the rule of paying customs duties for trade. He then left the location in August 1498. And then, he invented the sea route to India.