Who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1497 and reached Calicut, India?

Who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1497 and reached Calicut, India?

• A. Christopher Columbus
• B. Vasco da Gama
• C. Ferdinand Magellan
• D. Hernando Cortez

Answer: (B)

Opening a direct sea route from Europe to Asia by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope is what this question tests. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, led an expedition that began in 1497, rounded the southern tip of Africa, and reached Calicut on the Indian coast in 1498. This voyage established a direct sea link between Europe and the spice markets of Asia, allowing Portugal to control and profit from eastern trade and altering global commerce and power dynamics. By comparison, Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492 while searching for a western route to Asia, Magellan’s voyage (begun later) completed the first circumnavigation of the globe but did not land in India, and Hernando Cortés was famous for conquering the Aztec Empire in Mexico. The standout achievement here is demonstrating a viable sea route to India, which is why Vasco da Gama is the correct answer.

Opening a direct sea route from Europe to Asia by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope is what this question tests. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, led an expedition that began in 1497, rounded the southern tip of Africa, and reached Calicut on the Indian coast in 1498. This voyage established a direct sea link between Europe and the spice markets of Asia, allowing Portugal to control and profit from eastern trade and altering global commerce and power dynamics.

By comparison, Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492 while searching for a western route to Asia, Magellan’s voyage (begun later) completed the first circumnavigation of the globe but did not land in India, and Hernando Cortés was famous for conquering the Aztec Empire in Mexico. The standout achievement here is demonstrating a viable sea route to India, which is why Vasco da Gama is the correct answer.