The Sun and the Lion

The arrival of outsiders aroused the curiosity of countless Calicut people. Ever since Vasco da Gama got on the carriage, both sides of the road were crowded with Indians watching the excitement. The deeper you go into the city, the more people surround you, and many onlookers will follow the team forward.

Surrounded by the crowd, all the Portuguese, including Vasco da Gama, felt uncomfortable, and the commander's secretary recorded all the feelings of the group.

The first thing the Portuguese felt was the large number of people. There were so many Indians that they had never heard of them. They had never seen so many people either in their own country or on the coasts of North, West and East Africa.

Then feeling rich, they found many gold products among the Indians who were watching. The scribe recorded that these Indians were "sallow complexioned" and "most of the women were short and ugly" but they all wore gold necklaces and bracelets, and even jewel-encrusted anklets on their toes, showing off to everyone invisibly. India's wealth.

Inside the city, the procession entered a Hindu temple, or what the secretary recorded as "a cathedral as big as a monastery, built entirely of stone and bricks." The "holy images" and "heretical rituals" left a deep impression on all Portuguese people.

The team was finally about to march towards the palace. The guards used drums and trumpets to disperse the crowd of onlookers who had seriously blocked the traffic. The accompanying Portuguese soldiers also fired warning shots. For this reason, the people who retreated to both sides even crowded onto the roof.

Zamorin's mansion is located on a high ground near the port in the city. The ruler of the Malabar Coast owned two palaces, and he usually lived in a palace outside the city with other high-caste Indian nobles. The palace in the city is located high up, making it easy to monitor the ports and markets and collect taxes. At the same time, he also receives foreign guests here.

Even close to the palace, the crowding is still not reduced by half. To enter the hall from outside the wall, you have to pass through four gates. The secretary recorded angrily: "Every time we have to squeeze in desperately, pushing and shoving the onlookers. . Every time you walk through a door, someone is injured from the crowding and stampede.”

In front of the hall, Vasco da Gama got off his shoulder carriage, straightened his clothes a little, and then followed the palace guards into the hall. The spacious hall was paved with velvet carpets and lined with rows of high seats for nobles and businessmen who could speak in the court.

The hall is surrounded by colorful silk fabrics as decorations. Looking forward, sitting on the splendid main seat is the "Christian King" that the Portuguese spent months traveling around Africa to find. "Zamorin."

Zamorin wears a crown decorated with pearls and gems, an exquisite cotton coat, pearl buttons sewn with gold thread, gold rings, gold necklaces and gold bracelets inlaid with gems.

When the Portuguese entered the hall, Zamorin was reclining on the velvet couch, chewing betel nut. There were already a lot of betel nut residues in the spittoon beside him.

The Indian waiters provided drinks and fruits to the Portuguese, but according to the court etiquette they learned from the Muslim merchants, they were not allowed to touch the containers with their lips, so they had to pour them directly into their throats. The Indian dignitaries on the seats looked at the Portuguese's antics. He splashed water on his face and clothes.

Vasco da Gama saw that his people had made a fool of themselves, and in order to defend the dignity of the Portuguese court, he quickly asked Zamorin to talk to him alone.

Then the two of them came to the secret room alone with the translator. The commander boasted to Zamorin about his mission through the translator: "We have been searching for India one after another, and now the representatives of the King of Portugal have finally arrived here." He also promised that the documents and documents could be transferred to Zamorin the next day. The gift was officially handed over to Zamorin.

Perhaps tired of the commander's boasting, Zamorin decided to end the interview. Before leaving, da Gama asked him to provide separate accommodation for the Portuguese mission.

On the way to his residence, he complained endlessly about the traffic jam caused by the large number of people. The Indians prepared a horse for him, but he was rejected because there was no harness.

Taking advantage of the time when the commander was stuck in traffic, the Portuguese fleet assigned personnel to transfer the commander's personal belongings, documents of the Portuguese court and gifts to the court of Calicut to the residence of the mission.

When the governor of Calicut, Deza Morin, came to receive the state gift, he was shocked. The gifts Manuel prepared for Calicut were twelve pieces of striped cloth, four bright red hoods, six hats, four strings of corals, six copper basins, a box of sugar, and each of honey and oil. Two barrels. These gifts only satisfied the chiefs of West Africa, not even the rulers of Mombasa and Malindi on the East African coast.

This scene made the governor burst into laughter: "The poorest merchants from Mecca or other regions can give Zamorin a gift more valuable than this. Find it at Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com If you have Sincerity in making good relations with our country must at least have some gold in it." He later expressed his refusal to accept these miscellaneous items.

The dispute between the two parties attracted meddlesome Muslim businessmen, who without exception despised the gifts purchased by the Portuguese court.

Seeing that the dispute was unlikely to come to a conclusion, the commander asked the governor to report the matter to Zamorin for decision. The governor had no choice but to order his people to collect the Portuguese gifts and told the commander to reply to him later. The onlookers of Muslim merchants followed the governor.

But he waited for a day and no one informed him to go to the palace. It was not until the next day that Da Gama, who was deeply anxious, took the initiative to go to the palace with an envoy to request to see Zamorin again.

After waiting for about four hours, da Gama received a reply - Zamorin only received the commander and two other people. He had no choice but to enter the hall with his translator and secretary surrounded by Nair warriors.

This time Zamorin's attitude was much worse. As soon as the commander finished his salute, questions kept pouring into his ears. He had to adapt to the situation and said that the Portuguese mission would be able to come up with a satisfactory gift next time.

Zamorin's expression softened slightly, and Vasco da Gama took out the documents he had promised, but when the Arabic version of the letter was read out, he said that he could not believe it among the Muslims present, and the commander's translator was illiterate.

The translation of the final document took a lot of trouble, but fortunately the commander was able to prove his official identity, and not the liar and pirate that the Muslim merchants said yesterday.

Before ending the interview, Zamorin agreed to da Gama's request to conduct trade, but before leaving, Zamorin hinted to the commander that he would no longer agree to his request for an audience.

Before long, the diplomatic jokes caused by da Gama's two visits to Zamorin would be circulated along the trade routes as a talking point among merchants.