Epic Voyages Turned the Tide
in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations
by Nigel Cliff
ThriftBooks®
Posted on 12/24/2024 9:30:09 AM PST by Borges
BS…..the Portuguese Inquisition was a brutal act on the native population by the church and yes, DaGama was a colonialist.
The modern pejorative concept of “Colonialist” does not project back to this era.
Epic Voyages Turned the Tide
in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations
by Nigel Cliff
ThriftBooks®
Military conquest and use of superior firepower to subjugate a civilization and force conversion by the sword or “blasphemy” laws” is wrong irrespective of the age it was committed. We are seeing the same behavior today.
You’re projecting post Enlightenment values where they don’t belong. The Greeks and Romans also had “blasphemy” laws regarding their own religions.
Was there a civilization to subjugate? Certainly nowhwere near the level of Western European civilization. You sound like a PC fascist, not a lover of freedom. What’s next, civilization shouldn’t have subjugated the savages of the Americas?
The Calicut kingdom was actually pretty advanced. They were unimpressed by the trinkets taht Di Gama tried to entice them with.
He was a competent navigator that opened up trade routes that benefited all parties involved. Why make things harder than it is with all this revisionist history based on conjecture?
Nah, Magellan is my hero. And DeSoto. He found the Mississippi river!
Like they wouldn’t have found that anyway.
Exactly. Only a bad historian judges people of the past based on a modern understanding of things of which they did not know of, and judging them without possibly knowing the exact situation they were at the time.
Very good point. History ought to be judged by its own standards and its own context, and in that respect, VdG’s voyage of discovery was just that - a great historical maritime accomplishment opening up a channel between the East and the West, that had been previously blocked by Islam.
Scientifically, yes. But culturally and artistically, no - the very civilized Europeans of the Age of Discovery would tell you.
“….PC fascist…”
‘When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.’
“…the savages….” I’m sure we could’ve found a better way to coexist withe the indigenous population, but go ahead and spew your arrogance and hatred.
Let’s not give him any ideas now.
Paulo da Gama (European Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu ðɐ ˈɣɐmɐ]; c. 1465 – June or July 1499) was a Portuguese explorer, son of Estêvão da Gama and Isabel Sodré, and the older brother of Vasco da Gama.He was a member of the first voyage from Europe to India, led by his brother, commanding the ship São Rafael, which would be later scuttled in the return trip. Paulo da Gama joined the São Gabriel. His brother brought him to the Terceira Island of the Azores and stayed with him until his death, before he returned to Portugal in September 1499.[1] Paulo da Gama is buried in the monastery of São Francisco in the city of Angra do Heroísmo.
The Portuguese, Spain and other Catholic states were intent on protecting their Catholic religion and Catholic culture. Righr or wrong, the Inquisition was one means for achieving that end.
Today, their are states that apply their own form of inquisition. E.g., Christian persecution in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India etc.
There are other forms of discrimination that are subtle but nevertheless exist. We frequently refer to Israel as a "Jewish State." Yes, there are apologists that swear it is a democracy but the truth is - not so much. Israel's "Nation-State Law", officially known as the "Basic Law": , was enacted by the Knesset in July 2018. This law has sparked significant debate regarding its implications for equality within Israeli society. To understand how it undermines the principle of equality, we can analyze several key aspects:
1. Lack of Explicit Reference to Equality One of the most critical issues with the Nation-State Law is that it does not include any explicit mention of equality among citizens. Unlike many democratic nations that enshrine equal rights for all individuals in their constitutions or foundational laws, Israel’s Basic Laws do not formally recognize this principle.
2. Prioritization of Jewish Collective Rights Over Individual Rights. The law emphasizes the collective rights of the Jewish people to self-determination while sidelining individual rights and freedoms for non-Jewish citizens. By asserting that only Jews have the right to self-determination in Israel, it effectively places Jewish identity above individual civil rights.
3. Omission of Democratic Principles. The Nation-State Law fails to affirm Israel’s identity as both a Jewish and democratic state.
Full circle: Jewish State for Jews. Catholic state(s) for Catholics.
This was the beginning of European imperialism in India. The British were more successful than the Portuguese partly because they didn’t try to force their religion on the natives. It is understandable why the aren’t celebrating Vasco de Gama in India.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
