The Preparation of the Second India Armada (1500)

Following Vasco da Gama’s successful but fraught voyage to India (1497–1499), King Manuel I of Portugal immediately ordered the assembly of a larger, better-armed fleet to consolidate Portugal’s presence in the Indian Ocean trade and improve diplomatic relations with the rulers of the East.

This new fleet, the Second India Armada (1500), was designed to correct the mistakes of Gama’s expedition and to secure Portuguese dominance in the spice trade.

Fleet Composition and Leadership

• The Second Armada consisted of 13 ships and 1,500 men, making it significantly larger than Gama’s fleet.
• Unlike Vasco da Gama, who was from the Order of Santiago, this expedition was led by Pedro Álvares Cabral, a nobleman and master of the Order of Christ.
  • Cabral had no prior naval or military experience, and his appointment was primarily political.

Key Figures on the Expedition

• Sancho de Tovar – Exiled Castilian nobleman, designated vice-admiral and successor if something happened to Cabral.
• Pedro Escobar – Experienced navigator placed in technical command of the fleet.
• Nicolau Coelho – Veteran of Gama’s 1497 expedition, leading a ship again.
• Pêro de Alenquer – Veteran pilot from Gama’s first voyage.
• Bartolomeu Dias and his brother Diogo Dias –
  • Bartolomeu was the first to round the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.
  • Diogo had served as a clerk on Gama’s voyage.
  • They were assigned a special mission to Sofala in East Africa, while the rest of the fleet sailed for Calicut.

Ship Ownership and Financial Backing

• Most ships were crown-owned, but some were privately financed:
  • Luís Pires’s ship was outfitted by Diogo da Silva e Meneses, Count of Portalegre.
  • The Anunciada, captained by Nuno Leitão da Cunha, was owned by D. Álvaro of Braganza, cousin of the king, and financed by Italian merchants:
    • Florentine bankers Bartolomeo Marchionni and Girolamo Sernigi.
    • Genoese financier Antonio Salvago.

Mission and Special Passengers

• Ten ships were destined for Calicut (Malabar, India).
• Two ships (commanded by the Dias brothers) were sent to Sofala in East Africa.
• One ship was designated to be burned and scuttled along the way (a common practice to leave a vessel for emergency repairs or reinforcements).

Notable Individuals on Board

• Gaspar da Gama – A Goese Jew captured by Vasco da Gama in 1498, now serving as translator and intermediary.
• Four Hindu hostages – Taken by Vasco da Gama in 1498 during negotiations in Calicut.
• The Sultan of Malindi’s ambassador – Returning home after having traveled to Lisbon with Gama.
• Twenty Portuguese degredados (convicts) – Deployed as forced explorers.
  • Their sentences could be reduced by being abandoned on foreign shores to explore inland on the Crown’s behalf.
  • Known names: Afonso Ribeiro, João Machado, Luiz de Moura, António Fernandes (also a ship carpenter).
• The First Portuguese Christian Missionaries to India
  • Eight Franciscan friars and eight chaplains, led by Fr. Henrique Soares of Coimbra.

Strategic Goals of the Second Armada

1. Establish Permanent Trade Relations in India

   • Cabral was instructed to secure better commercial terms with Calicut, avoiding the diplomatic failures of Gama’s first mission.
   • The fleet carried lavish gifts and letters for the Zamorin of Calicut and other eastern rulers.

2. Expand Portuguese Influence Along the African Coast

   • The Dias brothers’ mission to Sofala aimed to establish Portuguese control over East African trade routes.

3. Strengthen Portuguese Naval Presence in the Indian Ocean

   • The fleet was well-armed, prepared to defend Portuguese interests against Arab and Indian resistance.

The Significance of Cabral’s Mission

• This expedition ultimately led to the accidental discovery of Brazil, when Cabral deviated westward in the Atlantic and sighted land in April 1500.
• It also paved the way for future Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean, ensuring that Portugal would control the lucrative spice trade for the next century.

The Second India Armada, much larger and better prepared than Gama’s fleet, marked the next phase of Portugal’s maritime empire, reinforcing its global ambitions and commercial power.