Pêro da Covilhã
Pêro da Covilhã | |
---|---|
Portuguese | |
Occupation(s) | Explorer, spy, diplomat |
Known for | Explorations in the Near East and the adjoining regions of Asia and Africa. |
Pêro da Covilhã (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpeɾu ðɐ kuviˈʎɐ̃]; c. 1460 – after 1526), sometimes written Pero de Covilhăo, was a Portuguese diplomat and explorer.[1]
He was a native of
Mission to the East
Covilhã was an adventurer of low birth but an adept swordsman and loyal servant to the Portuguese Crown. His fluency in Arabic and Castilian allowed him to perform undercover operations in Spain as well as undertaking secret negotiations in Morocco on behalf of King John II of Portugal.[4] These successful exploits prodded the King to send him and Afonso de Paiva to undertake a mission of exploration in the Near East and the adjoining regions of Asia and Africa, with the special assignment to learn where cinnamon and other spices could be found, as well as of discovering the land of legendary Prester John, by overland routes.[5][6] Bartolomeu Dias, at the same time, went out to by sea find the Prester's country, as well as the termination of the African continent and the ocean route to India.[2]
The expedition started at Santarém, on May 7, 1487. Covilhã and Paiva were briefed by the Bishop of Tangiers and two Jewish mathematicians, Rodrigo and Moisés, who were prominent members of the commission which advised the Portuguese government to reject the proposals of Christopher Columbus. The explorers were presented with a "letter of credence for all the countries of the world"[2] and a navigational map of the Middle East and Indian Ocean, likely drawn from the cartographical work of Fra Mauro. From Santarém they travelled by Barcelona to Naples, where their bills of exchange were paid by the sons of Cosimo de' Medici. Next, they went to Rhodes and acquired a stock of honey so they could portray themselves as merchants while traveling in the Arab world. Afterwards, they sailed to Alexandria.[4]
Following a fever that struck both men, the two explorers took a boat up the Nile to
Covilhã caught a trading
Back in Cairo he learnt that Paiva had died, somewhere on the way to Ethiopia. Meanwhile, King John II of Portugal had sent two Portuguese Jews: Rabbi Abraham of Beja and José Sapateiro, a shoe-maker of Lamego with letters for Covilhã and Paiva outlining further instructions. The King ordered that both men return to Lisbon but not before that "had seen and found out about the great King Prester John". Through José Sapateiro, Covilhã replied with an account of his Indian and African journeys, and of his observations on the cinnamon, black pepper and clove trade at Calicut, together with advice as to the ocean way to India. He recommended that the Portuguese should sail south along the coast of Africa and the seas of Guinea. The first objective in the eastern ocean, he added, was Madagascar; from this island one could reach Calicut.[2]
Ethiopia
With this information José returned to Portugal, while Covilhã, with Abraham of Beja, again visited
Here he was honorably received by the Emperor Eskender; lands and lordships were bestowed upon him, but Eskender refused to grant him permission to leave, and his successors evaded granting Covilhã permission. According to James Bruce, Covilhã maintained a correspondence with the king in Portugal, describing Ethiopia as "very populous, full of cities both powerful and rich".[8]
In 1507, he was joined by João Gomes, a priest sent by
Legacy
Covilhã's extensive travels in the medieval world saw him visit the modern day states of Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique, Iran, Eritrea and Ethiopia. These journeys, together with the maritime achievements of Bartolomeu Dias, were instrumental in paving the way for subsequent Portuguese expeditions, most significantly the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama in 1497.
Covilhã's arrival in Ethiopia also marked the beginning of Portuguese-Ethiopian relations which culminated in the formal invitation for the Portuguese to interfere directly in the affairs of
Notes
References
- ^ "Pêro da Covilhã". Infopédia. Porto: Porto Editora. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Chisholm 1911.
- ^ L.S. Stavrianos, The World since 1500: a Global history (1966) pp 92-93
- ^ ISBN 9780812994001.
- ISBN 9781134553044.
- OCLC 777936365.
- ^ Crowley, Roger (2015). Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire. New York: Random House. p. 24
- ^ Bruce, Travels, vol. 3, p. 135
- ^ Andreu Martínez d'Alòs-Moner, "Conquistadores, Mercenaries, and Missionaries: The Failed Portuguese Dominion of the Red Sea", Northeast African Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1 (2012), p. 1-28.
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Covilham, Pero". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 344–345. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
Further reading
- Francisco Alvarez, "Chapter CIV: How Pero de Covilham, a Portuguese, is in the country of the Prester, and how came here, and why he was sent", The Prester John of the Indies (Cambridge, Hakluyt Society, 1961), pp. 369–376.
- Diffie, Bailey W.; Winius, George D. (1978). Foundations of the Portuguese empire, 1415-1580. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-0782-2.
- Howgego, Raymond John, ed. (2003). "Pêro da Covilhao". Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800. Hordern House. ISBN 1875567364.