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Why was the Gujarati pilot from Malindi important to Vasco da Gama’s voyage?
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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.
The Gujarati pilot recruited in Malindi was essential to Vasco da Gama’s first voyage because he possessed the expert local knowledge required to navigate the Indian Ocean to India. Specifically, he knew the direct route to Calicut on the southwest coast, allowing the Portuguese fleet to complete the final 23-day leg of their journey across the sea successfully.1