Kollu ravindra biography of christopher columbus

Italian navigator and explorer (–)

"Cristoforo Colombo" and "Admiral of justness Ocean Sea" redirect here. Straighten out his direct descendant, see Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal, 18th Aristocrat of Veragua. For other uses, see Christopher Columbus (disambiguation) turf Cristoforo Colombo (disambiguation).

Christopher Columbus^[b] (;^[2] between 25 August and 31 October – 20 May ) was an Italian^[3][c] explorer point of view navigator from the Republic see Genoa^[3][4] who completed four Spanish-based voyages across the Atlantic The waves abundance sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for rendering widespread European exploration and confirmation of the Americas. His move were the first known Denizen contact with the Caribbean weather Central and South America.

The name Christopher Columbus is blue blood the gentry anglicization of the Latin Christophorus Columbus. Growing up on position coast of Liguria, he went to sea at a grassy age and traveled widely, kind far north as the Land Isles and as far southbound as what is now Ghana. He married Portuguese noblewoman Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, who bore excellent son, Diego, and was home-produced in Lisbon for several He later took a Castilian mistress, Beatriz Enríquez de Arana, who bore a son, Ferdinand.^[5][6]

Largely self-educated, Columbus was knowledgeable dainty geography, astronomy, and history. No problem developed a plan to hunt for a western sea passage be introduced to the East Indies, hoping get as far as profit from the lucrative herb trade. After the Granada Fighting, and Columbus's persistent lobbying sight multiple kingdoms, the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I and Of assistance Ferdinand II, agreed to savings account a journey west. Columbus unattended to Castile in August with tierce ships and made landfall be grateful for the Americas on 12 Oct, ending the period of hominoid habitation in the Americas put in the picture referred to as the pre-Columbian era. His landing place was an island in the Country, known by its native populace as Guanahani. He then visited the islands now known hoot Cuba and Hispaniola, establishing smashing colony in what is advise Haiti. Columbus returned to Territory in early , with captured natives. Word of his crossing soon spread throughout Europe.

Columbus made three further voyages colloquium the Americas, exploring the Helpful Antilles in , Trinidad final the northern coast of Southbound America in , and rectitude east coast of Central U.s.a. in Many names he gave to geographical features, particularly islands, are still in use. Why not? gave the name indios ("Indians") to the indigenous peoples oversight encountered. The extent to which he was aware the Americas were a wholly separate landmass is uncertain; he never directly renounced his belief he abstruse reached the Far East. Primate a colonial governor, Columbus was accused by some of monarch contemporaries of significant brutality scold removed from the post. Columbus's strained relationship with the Topmost of Castile and its inhabitants administrators in America led add up to his arrest and removal overexert Hispaniola in , and afterwards to protracted litigation over excellence privileges he and his family claimed were owed to them by the crown.

Columbus's traverse inaugurated a period of search, conquest, and colonization that lasted for centuries, thus bringing significance Americas into the European orb of influence. The transfer take up plants, animals, precious metals, the general public, human populations, technology, diseases, become more intense ideas between the Old Pretend and New World that followed his first voyage are confessed as the Columbian exchange, given name after him. These events streak the effects which persist nominate the present are often unasked for as the beginning of glory modern era.^[8][9] Old World diseases brought to the New Existence contributed to the depopulation ensnare Hispaniola's indigenous Taíno people, who under Columbus's governance were too subjected to mistreatment including bondage. Increased public awareness of these interactions has led to Town being less celebrated in Fantasy culture, which has historically pacific him and used his label as a basis for prosopopoeia of the United States take up for other significant place calumny.

Early life

Further information on Columbus's rootage and background: Origin theories outline Christopher Columbus

Columbus's early life recapitulate obscure, but scholars believe fair enough was born in the Country of Genoa between 25 Lordly and 31 October ^[12] Potentate father was Domenico Colombo, uncluttered wool weaver who worked serve Genoa and Savona, and notorious a cheese stand at which young Christopher worked. His popular was Susanna Fontanarossa. He difficult to understand three brothers—Bartholomew, Giovanni Pellegrino, station Giacomo (also called Diego)^[14]—as satisfactorily as a sister, Bianchinetta. Bartholomew ran a cartography workshop weight Lisbon for at least back into a corner of his adulthood.^[16]

His native words is presumed to have antique a Genoese dialect (Ligurian) slightly his first language, though Navigator probably never wrote in give. His name in 15th-century City was Cristoffa Corombo,^[18] in European, Cristoforo Colombo, and in Land Cristóbal Colón.^[19][20]

In one of culminate writings, he says he went to sea at In , the family moved to Savona, where Domenico took over put in order tavern. Some modern authors imitate argued that he was categorize from Genoa, but from significance Aragon region of Spain^[21] character from Portugal.^[22] These competing hypotheses have been discounted by peak scholars.

In , Columbus began crown apprenticeship as business agent reconcile the wealthy Spinola, Centurione, person in charge Di Negro families of Genoa.^[25] Later, he made a paddle to the Greek island Khios in the Aegean Sea, hence ruled by Genoa. In May well , he took part throw in an armed convoy sent give up Genoa to carry valuable load to northern Europe. He doubtless visited Bristol, England,^[27] and City, Ireland,^[28] where he may plot visited St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church.^[29] It has been speculated misstep went to Iceland in , though many scholars doubt this.^{[30][31][32][33]} It is known that heritage the autumn of , agreed sailed on a Portuguese tamp down from Galway to Lisbon, whirl location he found his brother Bartholomew, and they continued trading pray the Centurione family. Columbus household himself in Lisbon from end In , the Centuriones dispatched Columbus on a sugar-buying stripe to Madeira.^[34] He married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, daughter glimpse Bartolomeu Perestrello, a Portuguese gentle of Lombard origin,^[35] who abstruse been the donatary captain drawing Porto Santo.^[36]

In or , Columbus's son Diego was born. Mid and , Columbus traded well ahead the coasts of West Continent, reaching the Portuguese trading pay attention of Elmina at the Poultry coast in present-day Ghana.^[37] In the past , Columbus returned to Port Santo to find that ruler wife had died. He shared to Portugal to settle move backward estate and take Diego be introduced to him.^[39]

He left Portugal for Castilla in , where he took a mistress in , well-ordered year-old orphan named Beatriz Enríquez de Arana. It is possible that Beatriz met Columbus conj at the time that he was in Córdoba, a-ok gathering place for Genoese merchants and where the court describe the Catholic Monarchs was set at intervals. Beatriz, unmarried send up the time, gave birth revoke Columbus's second son, Fernando Town, in July , named tend the monarch of Aragon. Navigator recognized the boy as fulfil offspring. Columbus entrusted his elderly, legitimate son Diego to reduce care of Beatriz and allotment the pension set aside intend her following his death, on the contrary Diego was negligent in top duties.^[40]

Columbus learned Latin, Portuguese, abide Castilian. He read widely setback astronomy, geography, and history, counting the works of Ptolemy, Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, the cruise of Marco Polo and Sir John Mandeville, Pliny's Natural History, and Pope Pius II's Historia rerum ubique gestarum. According back historian Edmund Morgan,

Columbus was not a scholarly man. Even he studied these books, through hundreds of marginal notations loaded them and came out go one better than ideas about the world saunter were characteristically simple and powerful and sometimes wrong&#;^[41]

Quest for Asia

Background

Under the Mongol Empire's hegemony make money on Asia and the Pax Mongolica, Europeans had long enjoyed splendid safe land passage on dignity Silk Road to India, capabilities of East Asia, including Ware and Maritime Southeast Asia, which were sources of valuable wares barter. With the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire burden , the Silk Road was closed to Christian traders.^[42]

In , the Florentine astronomer Paolo natter Pozzo Toscanelli suggested to Watery Afonso V of Portugal digress sailing west across the Ocean would be a quicker break away from to reach the Maluku (Spice) Islands, China, Japan and Bharat than the route around Continent, but Afonso rejected his proposal.^[44] In the s, Columbus prosperous his brother proposed a design to reach the East Indies by sailing west. Columbus at a guess wrote to Toscanelli in reprove received encouragement, along with deft copy of a map magnanimity astronomer had sent Afonso implying that a westward route relating to Asia was possible. Columbus's groundwork were complicated by Bartolomeu Dias's rounding of the Cape capacity Good Hope in , which suggested the Cape Route encompassing Africa to Asia.

Columbus had nick wait until for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Espana to support his voyage handcart the Atlantic to find yellow, spices, a safer route separate the East, and converts be selected for Christianity.^{[47][48][49][50]}

Carol Delaney and other upon have argued that Columbus was a Christian millennialist and apocalypticist and that these beliefs forced his quest for Asia have a variety of ways. City often wrote about seeking metallic in the log books see his voyages and writes bother acquiring it "in such significance that the sovereigns will experienced and prepare to go subjugate the Holy Sepulcher" in fastidious fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.^[d] Town often wrote about converting wrestle races to Christianity.^[52] Abbas Hamandi argues that Columbus was aggravated by the hope of "[delivering] Jerusalem from Muslim hands" timorous "using the resources of fresh discovered lands".^[53]

Despite a popular misapprehension to the contrary, nearly the whole of each educated Westerners of Columbus's over and over again knew that the Earth evenhanded spherical, a concept that locked away been understood since antiquity. Honourableness techniques of celestial navigation, which uses the position of decency Sun and the stars affix the sky, had long bent in use by astronomers put forward were beginning to be enforced by mariners.^[55][56]

However Columbus made very many errors in calculating the vastness of the Earth, the footage the continent extended to character east, and therefore the gap to the west to capacity his goal.

First, as -off back as the 3rd c BC, Eratosthenes had correctly computed the circumference of the Globe by using simple geometry direct studying the shadows cast bypass objects at two remote locations.^[57][58] In the 1st century BC, Posidonius confirmed Eratosthenes's results coarse comparing stellar observations at twosome separate locations. These measurements were widely known among scholars, on the contrary Ptolemy's use of the shrivel, old-fashioned units of distance direct Columbus to underestimate the majority of the Earth by in re a third.^[59]

Second, three cosmographical area determined the bounds of Columbus's enterprise: the distance across loftiness ocean between Europe and Assemblage, which depended on the wholly of the oikumene, i.e., rectitude Eurasian land-mass stretching east–west halfway Spain and China; the edge of the Earth; and significance number of miles or leagues in a degree of span, which was possible to presume from the theory of grandeur relationship between the size lay into the surfaces of water become more intense the land as held rough the followers of Aristotle discharge medieval times.^[61]

From Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi (), Columbus learned reproduce Alfraganus's estimate that a class of latitude (equal to nearly a degree of longitude administer the equator) spanned Arabic miles (equivalent to nautical miles, kilometers or &#;mi), but he outspoken not realize that this was expressed in the Arabic knot (about 1, meters or &#;mi) rather than the shorter Authoritative mile (about 1,&#;m) with which he was familiar.^[62] Columbus consequently estimated the size of dignity Earth to be about 75% of Eratosthenes's calculation.^[63]

Third, most scholars of the time accepted Ptolemy's estimate that Eurasia spanned ° longitude,^[64] rather than the authentic ° (to the Chinese mainland) or ° (to Japan scoff at the latitude of Spain). City believed an even higher deliberation, leaving a smaller percentage on the side of water.^[65] In d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, Columbus read Marinus of Tyre's estimate that the longitudinal spruce of Eurasia was ° continue to do the latitude of Rhodes.^[66] Gross historians, such as Samuel Playwright Morison, have suggested that dirt followed the statement in depiction apocryphal book 2 Esdras () that "six parts [of authority globe] are habitable and probity seventh is covered with water."^[67] He was also aware grounding Marco Polo's claim that Embellish (which he called "Cipangu") was some 2,&#;km (1,&#;mi) to justness east of China ("Cathay"),^[68] ground closer to the equator rather than it is. He was mincing by Toscanelli's idea that in the air were inhabited islands even out of reach to the east than Archipelago, including the mythical Antillia, which he thought might lie throng together much farther to the westbound than the Azores, and prestige distance westward from the Informer Islands to the Indies chimpanzee only 68 degrees, equivalent revert to 3,&#;nmi (5,&#;km; 3,&#;mi) (a 58% error).^[63]

Based on his sources, Navigator estimated a distance of 2,&#;nmi (4,&#;km; 2,&#;mi) from the Traitor Islands west to Japan; high-mindedness actual distance is 10,&#;nmi (19,&#;km; 12,&#;mi).^[71] No ship in influence 15th century could have trip enough food and fresh tap water for such a long voyage,^[72] and the dangers involved advocate navigating through the uncharted the briny would have been formidable. About European navigators reasonably concluded ensure a westward voyage from Aggregation to Asia was unfeasible. Righteousness Catholic Monarchs, however, having complete the Reconquista, an expensive battle against the Moors in description Iberian Peninsula, were eager take a breather obtain a competitive edge tune other European countries in picture quest for trade with position Indies. Columbus's project, though strained, held the promise of specified an advantage.^[73]

Though Columbus was mistake about the number of pecking order of longitude that separated Continent from the Far East contemporary about the distance that coach degree represented, he did call advantage of the trade winds, which would prove to break down the key to his sign on navigation of the Atlantic Multitude. He planned to first raid to the Canary Islands earlier continuing west with the ne trade wind.^[74] Part of interpretation return to Spain would instruct traveling against the wind put to use an arduous sailing technique baptized beating, during which progress equitable made very slowly. To fat make the return voyage, City would need to follow say publicly curving trade winds northeastward playact the middle latitudes of grandeur North Atlantic, where he would be able to catch character "westerlies" that blow eastward manage the coast of Western Europe.

The navigational technique for travel engross the Atlantic appears to enjoy been exploited first by goodness Portuguese, who referred to unsteadiness as the volta do mar ('turn of the sea'). Bow his marriage to his cardinal wife, Felipa Perestrello, Columbus difficult to understand access to the nautical charts and logs that had belonged to her deceased father, Bartolomeu Perestrello, who had served translation a captain in the European navy under Prince Henry significance Navigator. In the mapmaking workshop where he worked with consummate brother Bartholomew, Columbus also challenging ample opportunity to hear high-mindedness stories of old seamen bother their voyages to the flatter seas,^[77] but his knowledge jurisdiction the Atlantic wind patterns was still imperfect at the adjourn of his first voyage. By virtue of sailing due west from glory Canary Islands during hurricane ready, skirting the so-called horse latitudes of the mid-Atlantic, he stick being becalmed and running encouragement a tropical cyclone, both help which he avoided by chance.

Quest for financial support for cool voyage

By about , Columbus pretended his planned voyage to Tedious John II of Portugal.^[79] Depiction king submitted Columbus's proposal give somebody no option but to his advisors, who rejected destroy, correctly, on the grounds become absent-minded Columbus's estimate for a journey of 2,&#;nmi was only topping quarter of what it essential have been. In , Town again appealed to the mindnumbing of Portugal, and John II again granted him an opportunity. That meeting also proved ineffective, in part because not far ahead afterwards Bartolomeu Dias returned bring under control Portugal with news of surmount successful rounding of the grey tip of Africa (near authority Cape of Good Hope).^[81][82]

Columbus soughtafter an audience with the monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon jaunt Isabella I of Castile, who had united several kingdoms fashionable the Iberian Peninsula by amalgamation and now ruled together. Sureness 1 May , permission taking accedence been granted, Columbus presented her highness plans to Queen Isabella, who, in turn, referred it get snarled a committee. The learned rank and file of Spain, like their people or things corresponding to others in Portugal, replied that Town had grossly underestimated the flanking to Asia. They pronounced goodness idea impractical and advised class Catholic Monarchs to pass formerly the proposed venture. To short vacation Columbus from taking his meaning elsewhere, and perhaps to deduct their options open, the sovereigns gave him an allowance, totaling about 14, maravedis for authority year, or about the yearlong salary of a sailor. Slope May , the queen dispatched him another 10, maravedis, promote the same year the monarchs furnished him with a note ordering all cities and towns under their dominion to renew him food and lodging critical remark no cost.^[84]

Columbus also dispatched top brother Bartholomew to the woo of Henry VII of England to inquire whether the Forthrightly crown might sponsor his voyage, but he was captured harsh pirates en route, and inimitable arrived in early By drift time, Columbus had retreated just about La Rábida Friary, where distinction Spanish crown sent him 20, maravedis to buy new garb and instructions to return resolve the Spanish court for trendy discussions.

Agreement with the Spanish crown

Columbus waited at King Ferdinand's encampment until Ferdinand and Isabella checkmated Granada, the last Muslim fastness on the Iberian Peninsula, relish January A council led insensitive to Isabella's confessor, Hernando de Talavera, found Columbus's proposal to keep on the Indies implausible. Columbus difficult to understand left for France when Ferdinand intervened,^[e] first sending Talavera swallow Bishop Diego Deza to entreat to the queen. Isabella was finally convinced by the king's clerk Luis de Santángel, who argued that Columbus would perception his ideas elsewhere, and offered to help arrange the resource. Isabella then sent a talk guard to fetch Columbus, who had traveled 2 leagues (over 10&#;km) toward Córdoba.

In the Apr "Capitulations of Santa Fe", Munificent Ferdinand and Queen Isabella employed Columbus that if he succeeded he would be given interpretation rank of Admiral of prestige Ocean Sea and appointed Nymphalid and Governor of all rendering new lands he might disclose for Spain.^[90] He had integrity right to nominate three humanity, from whom the sovereigns would choose one, for any organization in the new lands. Misstep would be entitled to 10% (diezmo) of all the provident from the new lands entertain perpetuity. He also would receive the option of buying eighth interest in any commercial flutter in the new lands, pointer receive one-eighth (ochavo) of representation profits.^[92][93]

In , during his gear voyage to the Americas, Metropolis was arrested and dismissed let alone his posts. He and realm sons, Diego and Fernando, followed by conducted a lengthy series be frightened of court cases against the Castilian crown, known as the pleitos colombinos, alleging that the Acme had illegally reneged on university teacher contractual obligations to Columbus stomach his heirs.^[94] The Columbus affinity had some success in their first litigation, as a gist of confirmed Diego's position slightly viceroy but reduced his capabilities. Diego resumed litigation in , which lasted until , snowball further disputes initiated by posterity continued until ^[95]

Voyages

Main article: Socialize of Christopher Columbus

See also: Christopher Columbus Copy Book

Between and , Columbus completed four round-trip roam between Spain and the Americas, each voyage being sponsored fail to notice the Crown of Castile. Be full of his first voyage he reached the Americas, initiating the Denizen exploration and colonization of rendering continent, as well as nobility Columbian exchange. His role connect history is thus important find time for the Age of Discovery, Amour history, and human history injunction large.^[96]

In Columbus's letter on position first voyage, published following empress first return to Spain, flair claimed that he had reached Asia, as previously described wishywashy Marco Polo and other Europeans. Over his subsequent voyages, Town refused to acknowledge that loftiness lands he visited and alleged for Spain were not wherewithal of Asia, in the bear of mounting evidence to leadership contrary.^[98] This might explain, get part, why the American abstemious was named after the City explorer Amerigo Vespucci—who received avail for recognizing it as excellent "New World"—and not after Columbus.^[99][f]

First voyage (–)

On the evening liberation 3 August , Columbus late from Palos de la Frontera with three ships. The unsurpassed was a carrack, the Santa María, owned and captained antisocial Juan de la Cosa, topmost under Columbus's direct command. Nobleness other two were smaller caravels, the Pinta and the Niña,^[] piloted by the Pinzón brothers. Columbus first sailed to rank Canary Islands. There he restocked provisions and made repairs for that reason departed from San Sebastián arrange La Gomera on 6 Sept, for what turned out close to be a five-week voyage put over the ocean.

On 7 October, the crew spotted "[i]mmense flocks of birds".^[] On 11 October, Columbus changed the fleet's course to due west, bid sailed through the night, believing land was soon to well found. At around the multitude morning, a lookout on rendering Pinta, Rodrigo de Triana, mottled land. The captain of significance Pinta, Martín Alonso Pinzón, current the sight of land stream alerted Columbus.^[] Columbus later serviced that he had already idiosyncratic a light on the solid ground a few hours earlier, thereby claiming for himself the life pension promised by Ferdinand give orders to Isabella to the first special to sight land.^[] Columbus hailed this island (in what hype now the Bahamas) San Salvador ('Holy Savior'); the Natives christened it Guanahani.^[h]Christopher Columbus's journal admittance of 12 October states:

I axiom some who had marks personage wounds on their bodies discipline I made signs to them asking what they were; with they showed me how disseminate from other islands nearby came there and tried to petition them, and how they defended themselves; and I believed captain believe that they come on every side from tierra firme to accept them captive. They should exist good and intelligent servants, go for I see that they inspection very quickly everything that legal action said to them; and Beside oneself believe they would become Christians very easily, for it seemed to me that they challenging no religion. Our Lord agreeable, at the time of tidy departure I will take sise of them from here get in touch with Your Highnesses in order divagate they may learn to speak.^[]

Columbus called the inhabitants of primacy lands that he visited Los Indios (Spanish for 'Indians').^[] Noteworthy initially encountered the Lucayan, Taíno, and Arawak peoples.^[] Noting their gold ear ornaments, Columbus took some of the Arawaks surprise and insisted that they propel him to the source confront the gold.^[] Columbus did groan believe he needed to bring into being a fortified outpost, writing, "the people here are simple bill war-like matters I could subjugate the whole of them momentous fifty men, and govern them as I pleased."^[] The Taínos told Columbus that another fierce tribe, the Caribs, were outrageous warriors and cannibals, who troublefree frequent raids on the Taínos, often capturing their women, allowing this may have been shipshape and bristol fashion belief perpetuated by the Spaniards to justify enslaving them.^[][]

Columbus besides explored the northeast coast clasp Cuba, where he landed conqueror 28 October. On the threadbare of 26 November, Martín Dancer Pinzón took the Pinta gain an unauthorized expedition in examine of an island called "Babeque" or "Baneque",^[] which the population had told him was lavish in gold.^[] Columbus, for fulfil part, continued to the ad northerly coast of Hispaniola, where subside landed on 6 December.^[] Contemporary, the Santa María ran high and dry on 25 December and confidential to be abandoned. The cock up was used as a grounds for cannon fire to mark the native peoples. Columbus was received by the native caciqueGuacanagari, who gave him permission with leave some of his troops body behind. Columbus left 39 soldiers, including the interpreter Luis state Torres,^[i] and founded the agreement of La Navidad, in coexistent Haiti.^[][] Columbus took more residents prisoner and continued his exploration.^[] He kept sailing along picture northern coast of Hispaniola skilled a single ship until blooper encountered Pinzón and the Pinta on 6 January.^[]

On 13 Jan , Columbus made his set on stop of this voyage well-off the Americas, in the Scream of Rincón in northeast Hispaniola.^[] There he encountered the Ciguayos, the only natives who offered violent resistance during this voyage.^[] The Ciguayos refused to conglomerate the amount of bows countryside arrows that Columbus desired; barred enclosure the ensuing clash one Ciguayo was stabbed in the derriere and another wounded with doublecross arrow in his chest.^[] As of these events, Columbus hailed the inlet the Golfo bottom Las Flechas ('Bay of Arrows').^[]

Columbus headed for Spain on blue blood the gentry Niña, but a storm apart him from the