Estêvão da Gama (Governor of India)

Estêvão da Gama (* around 1505, † 1576) was a Portuguese governor of India.

Life

Da Gama, named after his grandfather Estêvão da Gama , was the second son of Vasco da Gama and brother of Christovão . He was, among other things, 1529– before 1534 royal governor (capitão mor) of Elmina , 1534–1538 royal governor (capitão mor) of Malacca , and 1540–1542 11th governor of the Estado da Índia , based in Goa.

He was in command of the fleet that entered the Red Sea to attack the Ottoman fleet in the port of Suez . The fleet left Goa on December 31, 1540 and reached Aden on January 27, 1541. The fleet reached Massaua on February 12, where da Gama left several ships behind and continued the voyage north. When he reached Suez, he discovered that the Ottomans had long been aware of his raid and thwarted his attempt to burn the beached ships. Da Gama was forced to retreat to Massaua, but he paused to attack the port of the rock tower on the Sinai Peninsula . Back in Massaua, da Gama found the men he left behind with the self-proclaimed Patriarch Johann Bermudes . He had persuaded da Gama that they should provide military aid to the beleaguered emperor of Ethiopia . Da Gama complied with their request and landed 400 men, 130 military slaves, and enough supplies for them in Massaua and the nearby port of Arqiqo under the supervision of his brother Christovão, before leaving for India on July 9th.

Web links

• Don Juan de Castro The Voyage of Don Stefano de Gama from Goa to Suez, in 1540, with the intention of Burning the Turkish Galleys at that port (Volume 6, Chapter 3, eText)