Le Moulin de la Galette Painting by Vincent van Gogh

Vasco da Gama was the first European traveler to reach India through sea-route. He holds the distinction of being the first person in discovering convenient sea-route for carrying out trade with India. Such an attempt had also been made by a Portuguese earlier, but he could not return to his country alive. Vasco da Gama was keen to become a great and successful navigator like his contemporaries. The Portuguese navigators had set up their own colonies at a number of African sea coasts by annexing them. The Portuguese King Emanuel extended all the required help to Vasco da Gama in this task, and provided him with four ships and more than hundred navigators and asked him to proceed to India. Vasco da Gama could not find any sea-shore even after roaming about the sea for three months