Vasco da Gama

Second voyage

After Vasco da Gama's voyage, King Manuel dispatched a new expedition to India under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral (1500-01). It resulted in the establishment of a Portuguese trading post in Cochin.

On 12 February 1502 Vasco da Gama commanded a new expedition to India whose mission was to secure Portuguese interests and to avenge the death of Portuguese men left by Cabral. After passing by the Cape Verde Islands, the ships anchorend on Goree Island on 28 February, where mass was celebrated. Once again Vasco took the fleet on a long loop into the Atlantic that began on 6 March, staying 87 days on open-sea. At the African east coast the fleet passed by Sofala and Mozambique, and then arrived at Kilwa, in the modern nation of Tanzania.

In Kilwa, Vasco da Gama threathened with violence its local ruler, Amir Ibrahim, if he did not agree to become a vassal of the King of Portugal and pay tribute. Ibrahim, who had been hostile to Cabral, accepted Vasco's ultimatum.

As the expedition was leaving Kilwa, it met a squadron of five ships commanded by Estêvão da Gama (a nephew of Vasco) that had left Lisbon 1 April. From thence the ships sailed to India, reaching Cannanore in the beginning of September.

At the end of this month, Vasco learned about the arrival of

the Meri,
an Arab ship carrying between 200 and 400 passengers, mostly Muslim pilgrims returning from Mecca and decided to attack it.