The primary reason for Vasco da Gama's ventures on the open sea was to find a direct route to India for trade. Spices were the commodity that Europeans were going crazy over. As it stood, the only way to get spices was through middlemen and the Portuguese wanted to trade directly to make more of a profit. If they could find a direct route, they would not need to pay tributes to the Ottoman Empire...
The primary reason for Vasco da Gama's ventures on the open sea was to find a direct route to India for trade. Spices were the commodity that Europeans were going crazy over. As it stood, the only way to get spices was through middlemen and the Portuguese wanted to trade directly to make more of a profit. If they could find a direct route, they would not need to pay tributes to the Ottoman Empire or purchase their spices (at a marked up rate) from the Italians. There was a tremendous opportunity for wealth for whatever country discovered a route to India.
Da Gama's first voyage of exploration was for King Manuel I of Portugal. The idea was to discover a route that avoided the Mediterranean Sea by going south along the coast of Africa. His first voyage was a success as he reached India in May of 1498. Six years after Christopher Columbus had failed to find the route to India, Da Gama and his men were successful in finding a new trade route. The first voyage did not net trade agreements with the local Hindu population and could be considered an economic failure in that regard.
The second voyage of Da Gama in 1502 was more successful because he was more aggressive. He forced the local leadership to agree to trade demands and attacked Muslim trade routes. Da Gama was lauded as a success at his home in Portugal after the second voyage. He would not return to India for twenty years when he was assigned to be the viceroy, but died soon after arriving.
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