The da Gama epoch refers to the era of European commercial and imperial expansion in Asia. Descriptions of the voyage, however, need to be tempered in light of several “myths” often associated with those accounts. The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama (1460-1524), was the first European to sail from Portugal to India.
Over time, the apocalyptic mission led to the Age of Discovery, followed by the Age of Colonialism/ Imperialism. The primary motivation for the 1498 voyage, however, was messianic, to ‘vanquish and subdue all Saracens (Muslims) and pagans and other enemies of Christ, to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to convert to Christianity,’ as declared in various Papal Bulls, together called “the Doctrine of Discovery.” The Church divided the world into Spanish and Portuguese zones, both to be part of the Papal Empire. The story of the Portuguese explorers who sailed the coastline of Africa in their quest to develop trade routes to Asia. The “da Gama epoch” refers to the era of European commercial and imperial expansion in Asia. Vasco Da Gama and the Portuguese Explorers (Explorers of the New World) by. Vasco da Gama (/ v æ s k o d æ m /), often shortened to Vasco, is a city in the state of Goa on the west coast of India.It is named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.It is the headquarters of the Mormugão taluka (subdistrict). In fact, the afterlife of the explorer became an additional page in the history of the impressive Jerónimos Monastery located in Lisbon, Portugal and another famous church in Kochi, India as well. However, his story did not end with his death. The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama (1460-1524), was the first European to sail from Portugal to India. Vasco da Gama was a traveler and adventurer in the 15th century.