The Cabral expedition, sailing down the Indian…
September 1500 CE
The Cabral expedition, sailing down the Indian coast, finally reaches Calicut, the capital of the Nair Hindu kingdom of same name ruled by the Zamorin, or Nediyuiruppu Swarupam, on September 13.
Gaily decorated native boats come out to greet them, but Cabral, remembering Vasco da Gama's experience, refuses to go ashore until hostages are exchanged.
He dispatches Afonso Furtado and the four Calicut hostages taken by da Gama the previous year, to negotiate the details of the landing.
This eventually done, Cabral finally goes ashore himself and meets the new Zamorin of Calicut, the wary old Zamorin met by Gama having recently died.
The Portuguese are better-prepared this time—Cabral presents the young Zamorin with much finer and more luxurious gifts than Gama had brought, and more respectful and personalized letters of address from King Manuel I of Portugal.
A commercial treaty is successfully negotiated, and the Zamorin gives Cabral a security-of-trade certificate etched on a silver plate.
The Portuguese are allowed to establish a factory in Calicut and Aires Correia, the designated factor for Calicut, goes ashore with some seventy men.
Once the factory is established Cabral releases the ship hostages as a sign of trust.
Correia immediately sets about buying spices in Calicut's markets for the ships to take home.
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