India

From a medieval European perspective India was best known as a land conquered by Alexander the Great, and as a souce for gemstones and spices via the Silk Road.

As Arab traders had a virtual monopoly on trade between India and Western Europe, the European powers sought to circumvent this by finding a sea-route. The most notable failed attempt was by Chrstopher Columbus, who tried to get to India by travelling west.

The first succesful contact was made by Vasco de Gama, travelling on behalf of the King of Portugal. He landed in Calcutta, saying he had journeyed in order to find Christians and spices. The discovery that surprised him most however, was the presence of Moorish traders who spoke Castillian, a language he never thought to hear that far away from home.

The Portuguese established a trading port in Goa, which was to become a lucrative trade centre for them.