Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Vasco da Gama and Ahmad ibn Majid Probably met when Da Gama was stationed in Tangiers, Morocco.


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Vasco da Gama was stationed in Tangiers in 1478. Tangiers is on the West Coast of Africa. The Sofala arjûza was written in 1470, this was 8 years before da Gama arrived in Tangiers.We know that Majid sailed to many places in his lifetime, and da Gama could have met the great navigator in Tangiers.

The fact that da Gama never mentions Majidcan easily be explained . There was no reason for da Gama to talk about Majid, because Majid does not come into the history of da Gama's voyage to India until he is mentioned by Qutb as the Arab, who told the Portuguese how to get to India. Moreover, why would the Portuguese want to mention Majid when they wanted to make da Gama's voyage to India a great achievement of the Portuguese.

In summary, da Gama probably met Ahmad ibn Majid on the West Coast of Africa, in the 1470's while he was stationed in Tangiers. This would explain Majid's admission of regret for telling da Gama about navigation in the the Indian Ocean, in a revised copy of the Sofala arjûza, written before his death. Vasco da Gama's station in Tangiers support Bazan's claim that Majid and da Gama met on the West Coast of Africa,

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