Vasco da Gama ki Kahani: Bharat Ka Samundari Rasta Khojne Wala Explorer

Vasco da Gama Kaun The?

Vasco da Gama ek mashhoor Portuguese explorer yaani khoji the. Unka janm lagbhag 1460 mein Sines, Portugal mein hua tha. Bachpan se hi unhe samundar aur nayi jagahon ki khoj karne ka shauk tha. Us daur mein Europe ke log Asia ke sath trade karna chahte the. Lekin zameen ka rasta bahut lamba aur khatarnak tha. Isliye ek naye samundari raste ki talaash shuru hui. Vasco da Gama wahi pehle European bane jinhone Africa ke raste se aate hue seedhe Bharat tak ka safar samundar ke zariye tay kiya.

Bharat Ki Khoj Ka Safar

8 July 1497 ko Vasco da Gama ne Portugal ki rajdhani Lisbon se apni yatra shuru ki. Unke paas char jahaz (ships) the aur lagbhag 170 log unke sath the. Ye safar bilkul bhi aasan nahi tha. Unhe bade-bade toofanon, bimariyon aur anjaan samundaron ka samna karna pada. Lekin unki himmat aur navigation skills ne unhe aage badhte rehne ki taqat di. Unhone Africa ke southern tip yani Cape of Good Hope ko par kiya. Is raste ko pehle Bartolomeu Dias ne khoja tha, lekin Vasco da Gama ne isse aage badh kar naya rasta banaya.

Calicut Mein Aagaman

Mahine bhar samundar mein bhatakne ke baad, 20 May 1498 ko Vasco da Gama ka kafila Bharat ke Calicut (aaj ka Kozhikode, Kerala) coast par pahuncha. Wahan ke local king, jinhe Zamorin kaha jata tha, unhone Portuguese explorers ka swagat kiya. Yeh itihaas ka ek bada mod tha. Isse Europe aur Asia ke beech direct sea trade ka rasta khul gaya. Halanki, local Arab traders jo wahan pehle se trade karte the, unhone is naye connection ka virodh kiya, kyunki unhe apne business mein competition ka dar tha.

Trade Aur Wapsi

Vasco da Gama ne Calicut se masale (spices) aur keemti patthar kharide. Masale us waqt Europe mein sone ki tarah keemti maane jaate the. Jab wo wapas Portugal लौटे, toh unke paas jo saman tha, uski keemat unke poore safar ke kharch se kai guna zyada thi. Is safar ki safalta ne Portugal ko ek trading superpower bana diya. Unhone dekha ki is raste se kitna fayda ho sakta hai, aur iske baad aur bhi Portuguese ships Bharat ki taraf aane lage.

Baad Ke Safar Aur Antim Din

Vasco da Gama apne jeevan mein kul teen baar Bharat aaye. Dusri baar wo 1502 mein ek badi sena ke sath aaye taaki trade par apna control mazboot kar sakein. Is dauran unhone wahan ke local shasakon ke sath kai ladaiyan bhi ladi. Unke kaam aur yogyata ko dekhte hue, saal 1524 mein unhe Bharat mein Portugal ka Viceroy banakar bheja gaya. Lekin Bharat aane ke kuch hi mahino baad, 24 December 1524 ko Kochi mein unki tabiyat kharab hone se maut ho gayi. Unke shav ko pehle Kochi mein dafnaya gaya aur baad mein unke अवशेष (remains) Portugal wapas bhej diye gaye.