How did Muslim merchants in Calicut respond to Vasco da Gama’s arrival?

Upon arriving in Calicut in 1498, Vasco da Gama found Muslim Arab merchants already firmly entrenched in the region’s trade networks. These merchants viewed the arrival of the Portuguese with hostility, as they recognized the threat the newcomers posed to their established monopoly on the spice trade.12

This opposition from Muslim merchants was a significant factor in da Gama’s failure to conclude a favorable trade treaty with the Zamorin of Calicut during his first voyage. The tension between the Portuguese and the established Muslim trading interests persisted, eventually leading to direct conflict during da Gama’s second voyage, when he bombarded the port of Calicut and engaged in naval skirmishes with Arab ships.2

It is important to note that the Portuguese were driven by a crusading zeal and a strategic desire to outflank Muslim power in the East, which fundamentally shaped their aggressive approach to trade and diplomacy in the region.12