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Why did Vasco da Gama form an alliance with the ruler of Cannanore?
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Vasco da Gama
Knight of the Order of Christ, detail identified as Vasco da Gama, Portuguese school, first half of the 16th century; in the National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon.
Vasco da Gama formed an alliance with the ruler of Cannanore during his second voyage to India because the ruler was an enemy of the Zamorin of Calicut.1
By aligning with the ruler of Cannanore, da Gama sought to strengthen the Portuguese position against the Zamorin, who had previously shown favor to Muslim traders and resisted Portuguese interests. This strategic alliance was part of a broader effort to undermine the trade of Calicut and assert Portuguese control over the region's maritime commerce.1