Da Gama delayed leaving India by holding hostages before giving up the goods. In August of 1498, Da Gama left India after being ordered to pay a high tax and leave the goods he had traded for. He was at first well-received in India, but he eventually outstayed his welcome. Back in Portugalĭa Gama engaged in extensive trade with India for goods and spices from Asia. Around 1500 BCE, the people of the subcontinent came together to form the Vedic Civilization, which laid the groundwork for Hinduism. You may be surprised to learn that the Indian subcontinent has been thriving for 5,000–6,000 years.
Vasco da Gama had been away from home for more than two years, including 300 days at sea, and had covered about 24,000 miles by the time he made his first trip to India in 1499. On May 20, 1498, Vasco da Gama arrived in Calicut, India, after making several stops along ports in the eastern African countries of Kenya, Mozambique, and others, and after battling Muslim traders in the Indian Ocean who did not appreciate interference with their trade routes.
