Magalhães Before the Great Journey

To understand Magalhães' story, we must integrate it into what happened in 1505 when King Manuel appointed Francisco de Almeida as his first viceroy of the State of India, that is, Portugal's imperial dominions in the Orient.

Magalhães' first great voyage ended on 1 November 1505 with his arrival in Cochin, after having travelled the route of India. This route had been followed annually by the Portuguese since Vasco da Gama's voyage (1497-1499). 

Magalhães lived intensely in the East some of the main actions that allowed the affirmation of the State of India, such as the naval battle of Diu (1509), the first trip to Malacca (1509), the conquests of Goa (1510) and Malacca (1511).

Magalhães travelled through the western Indian Ocean with Nuno Vaz Pereira, from Cochin. In 1506, he arrived at Melinde, in Kenya, then passed through Quíloa, in present-day Tanzania and Sofala, in Mozambique.  In 1507, he left Sofala and returned to Cochin.

The routes of Magalhães in India were made between Cochin and Diu, having been in front of this city, in February 1509, when he participated in the important victorious naval battle against the Muslims. 

Magalhães was in Cochin when he embarked in August 1509, in the armada of Diogo Lopes de Sequeira that had the purpose of discovering Malacca, a city rich in the spice trade, where he arrived in September, after having passed by Pedir and Pacem, on the island of Samatra. 

Magalhães had an important role in this first trip of the Portuguese to Malacca, from where he left perhaps in early December 1509.  

From Cochin, he left to Goa, where he participated in its conquest, which took place on November 25, 1510, under the direction of Afonso de Albuquerque, second governor of the State of India. 

On April 1511, Afonso de Albuquerque left Goa in an armada destined to conquer Malacca. 

Magalhães embarked on this armada and crossed the eastern Indian Ocean for the second time.  
In July 1511, Magalhães reached Malacca and participated in its conquest, which was completed in August 1511.

With the arrival in Malacca, the Portuguese came to know most of the land around the Indian Ocean, as was well expressed in one of the beautiful letters of the so-called "Atlas Miller" of 1519.  

During this period of Portuguese expansion in the East, the most important and innovative expedition in which Magalhães participated, was the one in which the Portuguese reached the Moluccas.