Question

Which ruler of Calicut welcomed Vasco da Gama?
A.Nandivarma
B.Vikramaditya
C.Zamorin
D.Sundara Pandya

Answer 1

Hint:Vasco da Gama was born approximately 1460 in the family of a minor nobleman in Portugal. In 1492, King John II of Portugal decided to send Vasco da Gama to counterattack France by conquering their French ships as a response to their attacks.

Complete answer:
King John’s successor, King Manual I, decided in the year 1497 to choose Vasco da Gama to send him in search of a maritime route from Europe to Asia and to lead his fleet to reach India from Portugal. Vasco da Gama then left the Capital city of Portugal, Lisbon with four barrels. He was the first European explorer to reach Kappad near the coast of Calicut on 20th May 1498 by successfully crossing the Indian Ocean. Before reaching Calicut, he made a few stops at what is now Mozambique, Mombasa, and Malindi (both now in Kenya).

Upon his arrival to India, Vasco da Gama was welcomed in Durbar as the ambassador of Portugal by Zamorin, the ruler of Calicut. His main intention behind this visit was to open sail routes from Europe and Asia so that Portugal can control trade and commerce. Initially, he was welcomed heartily by the Hindu population but later on, when he offered relatively cheap gifts upon his arrival to Zamorin, the king of Calicut, the tension between the two of them started. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese ambassador left Calicut in August 1498 because of the conflict he had to face from Zamorin and other Muslim traders.
Vasco da Gama was then sent again to India by the Portuguese king for him to establish a trading port in India and later on, he continued to guide the Portuguese ruler on Indian affairs. Finally, in 1524, during his last visit to India, he got sick and died in Cochin from where his body was sent back to Portugal for burial rituals.

Note:Zamorin, the King of Calicut, belonged to the royal family of Hindu Eradi Nair Zamorin. The Zamorins ruled for over a century over the Malabar coast based at the city of Calicut (now Kozhikode) and dealt with Chinese, Arabs, Portuguese, etc. during their reign. The Zamorin is not an individual name but collectively, referred to as the ruler itself.