Chapter 22 · Topic 22.1 · Prelims + Mains1 of 2
Geographical Discoveries: Causes and voyages
Key points
- The Age of Discovery (15th–16th centuries) was driven by the spice trade, Ottoman control of land routes, new ships and royal support.
- Dias rounded the Cape (1488); Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in May 1498; Albuquerque took Goa in 1510.
- Columbus reached the Americas (1492); the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) split new lands; Magellan–Elcano sailed round the world (1519–1522).
Prelims box: facts and traps
- Diu: Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, Prelims 2023, answer (c).
- Bhatkal fort: allowed by Krishnadevaraya.
- Cabral: Brazil, 1500.
Causes and the Portuguese voyages
| Cause | Detail |
|---|---|
| Spice trade | Pepper and spices were costly; Venetian and Arab middlemen controlled supply |
| Ottoman control | After 1453 the Ottomans dominated land routes to Asia |
| Technology | Caravels, magnetic compass, astrolabe, better maps |
| Royal support | Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal; Spanish crown |
| Motives | ‘Gold, God and glory’: wealth, missionary zeal, prestige |
Think of middlemen as shops that double the price. Europe wanted to buy straight from the farm. A caravel was a light, fast ship. An astrolabe measured the height of stars to find position at sea.
Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut on the Malabar coast in May 1498, where the Zamorin ruled. Cabral reached Brazil in 1500.
Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from Bijapur in 1510. Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara, who valued Portuguese horses, let them build a fort at Bhatkal. Bahadur Shah of Gujarat allowed a fort at Diu in 1535.
Who among the following rulers of medieval Gujarat surrendered Diu to Portuguese?
- Ahmad Shah
- Mahmud Begarha
- Bahadur Shah
- Muhammad Shah
Show answer
Answer: (c) · UPSC official key
Spanish voyages: Columbus and Magellan
Columbus, a sailor from Genoa funded by Spain, sailed west in 1492 to reach Asia. He landed in the Bahamas. He thought he had reached the Indies, so the native people were wrongly called “Indians”. Amerigo Vespucci said it was a New World, and America is named after him.
The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) split new lands between Spain (west of a line) and Portugal (east). That is why Brazil speaks Portuguese. Magellan, a Portuguese sailor working for Spain, led the first voyage round the world (1519–1522). He was killed in the Philippines in 1521, and Elcano finished the journey.
| Explorer | Year | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Bartolomeu Dias | 1488 | Cape of Good Hope |
| Christopher Columbus | 1492 | Reached the Americas |
| Vasco da Gama | 1498 | Sea route to India (Calicut) |
| Pedro Álvares Cabral | 1500 | Brazil |
| Ferdinand Magellan / Elcano | 1519–1522 | First circumnavigation |
Mains box: analysis and answer points
- Why Portugal led: Prince Henry, ships, location.
- Tordesillas: dividing the world between Spain and Portugal.
Practice
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In 150 words, explain the significance of Geographical Discoveries with one recent example.
Flashcards (14)
Cape of Good Hope rounded?
Dias, 1488.
Vasco da Gama reached?
Calicut, 1498.
Ruler of Calicut?
The Zamorin.
Portugal’s patron of voyages?
Prince Henry the Navigator.
Goa captured?
1510, by Albuquerque.
Fort at Bhatkal allowed by?
Krishnadevaraya.
Diu surrendered by?
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
Columbus first voyage?
1492, for Spain.
America named after?
Amerigo Vespucci.
Treaty of Tordesillas?
1494.
Brazil reached by?
Cabral, 1500.
First circumnavigation?
Magellan’s fleet, 1519–1522.
Who completed it?
Elcano.
Magellan died in?
The Philippines, 1521.
Read more: related explainers
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