Konai helu thaman biography of christopher columbus

Italian navigator and explorer (1451–1506)

"Cristoforo Colombo" and "Admiral of say publicly Ocean Sea" redirect here. Desire his direct descendant, see Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal, 18th Marquis of Veragua. For other uses, see Christopher Columbus (disambiguation) slab Cristoforo Colombo (disambiguation).

Christopher Columbus^[b] (;^[2] between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 Hawthorn 1506) was an Italian^[3][c] globetrotter and navigator from the Body politic of Genoa^[3][4] who completed team a few Spanish-based voyages across the Ocean Ocean sponsored by the Broad Monarchs, opening the way honor the widespread European exploration countryside colonization of the Americas.

Jurisdiction expeditions were the first become public European contact with the Sea and Central and South Ground.

The name Christopher Columbus pump up the anglicization of the Established Christophorus Columbus. Growing up telltale sign the coast of Liguria, do something went to sea at span young age and traveled about, as far north as class British Isles and as in the middle of nowher south as what is consequential Ghana.

He married Portuguese baroness Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, who drill a son, Diego, and was based in Lisbon for a number of years. He later took a-one Castilian mistress, Beatriz Enríquez wittiness Arana, who bore a mortal, Ferdinand.^[5][6]

Largely self-educated, Columbus was up to date in geography, astronomy, and features.

He developed a plan consent seek a western sea paragraph to the East Indies, desirous to profit from the rewarding spice trade. After the City War, and Columbus's persistent lobbying in multiple kingdoms, the Expanded Monarchs, Queen Isabella I existing King Ferdinand II, agreed suggest sponsor a journey west. Navigator left Castile in August 1492 with three ships and strenuous landfall in the Americas cleverness 12 October, ending the date of human habitation in say publicly Americas now referred to in that the pre-Columbian era.

His disembarkation place was an island confine the Bahamas, known by warmth native inhabitants as Guanahani. Sharp-tasting then visited the islands condensed known as Cuba and Hayti, establishing a colony in what is now Haiti. Columbus reciprocal to Castile in early 1493, with captured natives. Word signify his voyage soon spread from the beginning to the end of Europe.

Columbus made three other voyages to the Americas, interested the Lesser Antilles in 1493, Trinidad and the northern beach of South America in 1498, and the east coast break into Central America in 1502. Visit names he gave to geographic features, particularly islands, are calm in use. He gave glory name indios ("Indians") to greatness indigenous peoples he encountered.

Depiction extent to which he was aware the Americas were clean up wholly separate landmass is uncertain; he never clearly renounced government belief he had reached high-mindedness Far East. As a residents governor, Columbus was accused descendant some of his contemporaries representative significant brutality and removed let alone the post.

Columbus's strained association with the Crown of Castilla and its colonial administrators unplanned America led to his vicious circle and removal from Hispaniola crucial 1500, and later to long litigation over the privileges significant and his heirs claimed were owed to them by ethics crown.

Columbus's expeditions inaugurated natty period of exploration, conquest, beam colonization that lasted for centuries, thus bringing the Americas meet the European sphere of involve.

The transfer of plants, animals, precious metals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas mid the Old World and New-found World that followed his prime voyage are known as rendering Columbian exchange, named after him. These events and the tool which persist to the exempt are often cited as say publicly beginning of the modern era.^[8][9]

Columbus was widely celebrated in depiction centuries after his death, however public perception fractured in prestige 21st century due to in a superior way attention to the harms durable under his governance, particularly ethics beginning of the depopulation endowment Hispaniola's indigenous Taíno people, caused by Old World diseases focus on mistreatment, including slavery.

Many room in the Western Hemisphere carry his name, including the Southeast American country of Colombia, picture Canadian province of British River, the American city Columbus, River, and the United States funds, the District of Columbia.

Early life

Further information on Columbus's birthplace pole background: Origin theories of Christopher Columbus

Columbus's early life is blow away, but scholars believe he was born in the Republic be taken in by Genoa between 25 August sit 31 October 1451.^[12] His cleric was Domenico Colombo, a cloth weaver who worked in City and Savona, and owned keen cheese stand at which growing Christopher worked.

His mother was Susanna Fontanarossa. He had couple brothers—Bartholomew, Giovanni Pellegrino, and Giacomo (also called Diego)^[14]—as well thanks to a sister, Bianchinetta. Bartholomew ran a cartography workshop in Port for at least part remind you of his adulthood.^[16]

His native language in your right mind presumed to have been top-notch Genoese dialect (Ligurian) as fulfil first language, though Columbus very likely never wrote in it.

Empress name in 15th-century Genoese was Cristoffa Corombo,^[18] in Italian, Cristoforo Colombo, and in Spanish Cristóbal Colón.^[19][20]

In one of his propaganda, he says he went adjoin sea at 14. In 1470, the family moved to Savona, where Domenico took over top-notch tavern.

Some modern authors scheme argued that he was from Genoa, but from depiction Aragon region of Spain^[21] remember from Portugal.^[22] These competing hypotheses have been discounted by nearly scholars.

In 1473, Columbus began rule apprenticeship as business agent matter the wealthy Spinola, Centurione, dowel Di Negro families of Genoa.^[25] Later, he made a go to the Greek island Khios in the Aegean Sea, accordingly ruled by Genoa.

In Hawthorn 1476, he took part be thankful for an armed convoy sent insensitive to Genoa to carry valuable load to northern Europe. He most likely visited Bristol, England,^[27] and Ireland, Ireland,^[28] where he may scheme visited St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church.^[29] It has been speculated type went to Iceland in 1477, though many scholars doubt this.^{[30][31][32][33]} It is known that scheduled the autumn of 1477, fair enough sailed on a Portuguese passenger liner from Galway to Lisbon, neighbourhood he found his brother Bartholomew, and they continued trading dilemma the Centurione family.

Columbus homegrown himself in Lisbon from 1477 to 1485. In 1478, rectitude Centuriones sent Columbus on dexterous sugar-buying trip to Madeira.^[34] Illegal married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, daughter of Bartolomeu Perestrello, natty Portuguese nobleman of Lombard origin,^[35] who had been the donatary captain of Porto Santo.^[36]

In 1479 or 1480, Columbus's son Diego was born.

Between 1482 soar 1485, Columbus traded along depiction coasts of West Africa, movement the Portuguese trading post bring into play Elmina at the Guinea glissade in present-day Ghana.^[37] Before 1484, Columbus returned to Porto Santo to find that his bride had died. He returned simulate Portugal to settle her big money and take Diego with him.^[39]

He left Portugal for Castile pin down 1485, where he took splendid mistress in 1487, a 20-year-old orphan named Beatriz Enríquez call Arana.

It is likely turn this way Beatriz met Columbus when dirt was in Córdoba, a convention place for Genoese merchants distinguished where the court of grandeur Catholic Monarchs was located suspicious intervals. Beatriz, unmarried at rendering time, gave birth to Columbus's second son, Fernando Columbus, undecorated July 1488, named for authority monarch of Aragon.

Columbus certified the boy as his give birth. Columbus entrusted his older, rightful son Diego to take alarm bell of Beatriz and pay representation pension set aside for the brush following his death, but Diego was negligent in his duties.^[40]

Columbus learned Latin, Portuguese, and Castilian. He read widely about physics, geography, and history, including class works of Ptolemy, Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, the travels chuck out Marco Polo and Sir Closet Mandeville, Pliny's Natural History, nearby Pope Pius II's Historia rerum ubique gestarum.

According to historiographer Edmund Morgan,

Columbus was turn on the waterworks a scholarly man. Yet stylishness studied these books, made win of marginal notations in them and came out with text about the world that were characteristically simple and strong limit sometimes wrong ...^[41]

Quest for Asia

Background

Under ethics Mongol Empire's hegemony over Continent and the Pax Mongolica, Europeans had long enjoyed a obtain land passage on the Textile Road to India, parts appreciated East Asia, including China streak Maritime Southeast Asia, which were sources of valuable goods.

Clang the fall of Constantinople open to the elements the Ottoman Empire in 1453, the Silk Road was squinting to Christian traders.^[42]

In 1474, influence Florentine astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli suggested to King Afonso V of Portugal that afloat west across the Atlantic would be a quicker way give somebody the job of reach the Maluku (Spice) Islands, China, Japan and India elude the route around Africa, on the contrary Afonso rejected his proposal.^[44] Get the message the 1480s, Columbus and rule brother proposed a plan subsidy reach the East Indies surpass sailing west.

Columbus supposedly wrote to Toscanelli in 1481 prep added to received encouragement, along with first-class copy of a map decency astronomer had sent Afonso implying that a westward route promote to Asia was possible. Columbus's disposition were complicated by Bartolomeu Dias's rounding of the Cape acquire Good Hope in 1488, which suggested the Cape Route turn over Africa to Asia.

Columbus had nip in the bud wait until 1492 for Eyecatching Ferdinand and Queen Isabella brake Spain to support his passage across the Atlantic to surprise gold, spices, a safer itinerary to the East, and converts to Christianity.^{[47][48][49][50]}

Carol Delaney and repeated erior commentators have argued that Metropolis was a Christian millennialist beginning apocalypticist and that these classes motivated his quest for Collection in a variety of attitude.

Columbus often wrote about hunt gold in the log books of his voyages and writes about acquiring it "in specified quantity that the sovereigns... longing undertake and prepare to healthier conquer the Holy Sepulcher" row a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.^[d] Columbus often wrote about modulating all races to Christianity.^[52] Abbas Hamandi argues that Columbus was motivated by the hope mimic "[delivering] Jerusalem from Muslim hands" by "using the resources deserve newly discovered lands".^[53]

Despite a regular misconception to the contrary, fundamentally all educated Westerners of Columbus's time knew that the Soil is spherical, a concept divagate had been understood since age.

The techniques of celestial cruising, which uses the position be beneficial to the Sun and the stars in the sky, had unconventional been in use by astronomers and were beginning to joke implemented by mariners.^[55][56]

However Columbus sense several errors in calculating blue blood the gentry size of the Earth, excellence distance the continent extended look after the east, and therefore honesty distance to the west close reach his goal.

First, whereas far back as the Ordinal century BC, Eratosthenes had aright computed the circumference of significance Earth by using simple geometry and studying the shadows seal by objects at two faroff locations.^[57][58] In the 1st hundred BC, Posidonius confirmed Eratosthenes's meagre by comparing stellar observations representative two separate locations.

These were widely known among scholars, but Ptolemy's use of righteousness smaller, old-fashioned units of better led Columbus to underestimate illustriousness size of the Earth by virtue of about a third.^[59]

Second, three cosmographical parameters determined the bounds designate Columbus's enterprise: the distance package the ocean between Europe countryside Asia, which depended on decency extent of the oikumene, 1 the Eurasian land-mass stretching east–west between Spain and China; character circumference of the Earth; tolerate the number of miles dissatisfied leagues in a degree arrive at longitude, which was possible here deduce from the theory realize the relationship between the external of the surfaces of spa water and the land as taken aloof by the followers of Philosopher in medieval times.^[61]

From Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi (1410), Columbus intellectual of Alfraganus's estimate that exceptional degree of latitude (equal solve approximately a degree of measure along the equator) spanned 56.67 Arabic miles (equivalent to 66.2 nautical miles, 122.6 kilometers convey 76.2 mi), but he did shriek realize that this was told in the Arabic mile (about 1,830 meters or 1.14 mi) to a certain extent than the shorter Roman mi (about 1,480 m) with which soil was familiar.^[62] Columbus therefore alleged the size of the Sticking to the facts to be about 75% hegemony Eratosthenes's calculation.^[63]

Third, most scholars deadly the time accepted Ptolemy's costing that Eurasia spanned 180° longitude,^[64] rather than the actual 130° (to the Chinese mainland) unheard of 150° (to Japan at interpretation latitude of Spain).

Columbus estimated an even higher estimate, give up a smaller percentage for water.^[65] In d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, City read Marinus of Tyre's deliberation that the longitudinal span acquire Eurasia was 225° at justness latitude of Rhodes.^[66] Some historians, such as Samuel Eliot Morison, have suggested that he followed the statement in the legendary book 2 Esdras (6:42) put off "six parts [of the globe] are habitable and the one-seventh is covered with water."^[67] Proscribed was also aware of Marco Polo's claim that Japan (which he called "Cipangu") was heavy 2,414 km (1,500 mi) to the eastern of China ("Cathay"),^[68] and nearer to the equator than fail is.

He was influenced unhelpful Toscanelli's idea that there were inhabited islands even farther tip off the east than Japan, containing the mythical Antillia, which illegal thought might lie not undue farther to the west prior to the Azores, and the gap westward from the Canary Islands to the Indies as lone 68 degrees, equivalent to 3,080 nmi (5,700 km; 3,540 mi) (a 58% error).^[63]

Based on his sources, Columbus putative a distance of 2,400 nmi (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) from the Canary Islands west to Japan; the accomplishment distance is 10,600 nmi (19,600 km; 12,200 mi).^[71] No ship in the Fifteenth century could have carried satisfactory food and fresh water request such a long voyage,^[72] captivated the dangers involved in navigating through the uncharted ocean would have been formidable.

Most Indweller navigators reasonably concluded that fine westward voyage from Europe nick Asia was unfeasible. The Broad Monarchs, however, having completed honourableness Reconquista, an expensive war anti the Moors in the Peninsula Peninsula, were eager to appropriate a competitive edge over different European countries in the mission for trade with the Indies.

Columbus's project, though far-fetched, kept the promise of such wholesome advantage.^[73]

Though Columbus was wrong problem the number of degrees take off longitude that separated Europe dismiss the Far East and round the distance that each scale represented, he did take emphasize of the trade winds, which would prove to be integrity key to his successful steering of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fair enough planned to first sail extort the Canary Islands before chronic west with the northeast work wind.^[74] Part of the come back to Spain would require motion against the wind using lever arduous sailing technique called caning, during which progress is complete very slowly. To effectively dream up the return voyage, Columbus would need to follow the curved trade winds northeastward to decency middle latitudes of the Northmost Atlantic, where he would attach able to catch the "westerlies" that blow eastward to decency coast of Western Europe.

The hearten technique for travel in magnanimity Atlantic appears to have antediluvian exploited first by the Lusitanian, who referred to it whereas the volta do mar ('turn of the sea').

Through cap marriage to his first bride, Felipa Perestrello, Columbus had opening to the nautical charts abide logs that had belonged anticipation her deceased father, Bartolomeu Perestrello, who had served as straight captain in the Portuguese argosy under Prince Henry the Hearty. In the mapmaking shop situation he worked with his friar Bartholomew, Columbus also had depict opportunity to hear the legendary of old seamen about their voyages to the western seas,^[77] but his knowledge of illustriousness Atlantic wind patterns was placid imperfect at the time bazaar his first voyage.

By steering due west from the Squealer Islands during hurricane season, peripheral the so-called horse latitudes entrap the mid-Atlantic, he risked existence becalmed and running into fastidious tropical cyclone, both of which he avoided by chance.

Quest make up for financial support for a voyage

By about 1484, Columbus proposed dominion planned voyage to King Lavatory II of Portugal.^[79] The soughtafter submitted Columbus's proposal to sovereign advisors, who rejected it, properly, on the grounds that Columbus's estimate for a voyage leverage 2,400 nmi was only a three months of what it should possess been.

In 1488, Columbus go back over the same ground appealed to the court rejoice Portugal, and John II go back over the same ground granted him an audience. Stray meeting also proved unsuccessful, central part part because not long later Bartolomeu Dias returned to Portugal with news of his loaded rounding of the southern apex of Africa (near the Point of Good Hope).^[81][82]

Columbus sought disallow audience with the monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, who esoteric united several kingdoms in glory Iberian Peninsula by marrying with the addition of now ruled together.

On 1 May 1486, permission having antediluvian granted, Columbus presented his version preparations to Queen Isabella, who, link with turn, referred it to unmixed committee. The learned men beat somebody to it Spain, like their counterparts relish Portugal, replied that Columbus challenging grossly underestimated the distance lock Asia.

They pronounced the given impractical and advised the Broad Monarchs to pass on class proposed venture. To keep Navigator from taking his ideas made known, and perhaps to keep their options open, the sovereigns gave him an allowance, totaling remember 14,000 maravedis for the assemblage, or about the annual guarantee of a sailor. In Haw 1489, the queen sent him another 10,000 maravedis, and significance same year the monarchs outfitted him with a letter rectification all cities and towns hang their dominion to provide him food and lodging at maladroit thumbs down d cost.^[84]

Columbus also dispatched his fellow Bartholomew to the court pale Henry VII of England e-mail inquire whether the English zenith might sponsor his expedition, on the other hand he was captured by pirates en route, and only dismounted in early 1491.

By make certain time, Columbus had retreated come close to La Rábida Friary, where excellence Spanish crown sent him 20,000 maravedis to buy new apparel and instructions to return expectation the Spanish court for redone discussions.

Agreement with the Spanish crown

Columbus waited at King Ferdinand's encampment until Ferdinand and Isabella licked Granada, the last Muslim citadel on the Iberian Peninsula, mass January 1492.

A council illbehaved by Isabella's confessor, Hernando come into sight Talavera, found Columbus's proposal designate reach the Indies implausible. Navigator had left for France conj at the time that Ferdinand intervened,^[e] first sending Talavera and Bishop Diego Deza put your name down appeal to the queen.

Isabella was finally convinced by nobleness king's clerk Luis de Santángel, who argued that Columbus would take his ideas elsewhere, turf offered to help arrange position funding. Isabella then sent spiffy tidy up royal guard to fetch Navigator, who had traveled 2 leagues (over 10 km) toward Córdoba.

In interpretation April 1492 "Capitulations of Santa Fe", King Ferdinand and Empress Isabella promised Columbus that assuming he succeeded he would note down given the rank of Admiral of the Ocean Sea topmost appointed Viceroy and Governor delineate all the new lands appease might claim for Spain.^[90] Elegance had the right to designate three persons, from whom picture sovereigns would choose one, espouse any office in the newborn lands.

He would be favoured to 10% (diezmo) of cessation the revenues from the fresh lands in perpetuity. He too would have the option in shape buying one-eighth interest in commercial venture in the pristine lands, and receive one-eighth (ochavo) of the profits.^[92][93]

In 1500, by means of his third voyage to nobleness Americas, Columbus was arrested refuse dismissed from his posts.

Significant and his sons, Diego opinion Fernando, then conducted a unrelenting series of court cases at daggers drawn the Castilian crown, known monkey the pleitos colombinos, alleging cruise the Crown had illegally reneged on its contractual obligations single out for punishment Columbus and his heirs.^[94] Birth Columbus family had some good in their first litigation, little a judgment of 1511 chronic Diego's position as viceroy nevertheless reduced his powers.

Diego resumed litigation in 1512, which lasted until 1536, and further disputes initiated by heirs continued undetermined 1790.^[95]

Voyages

Main article: Voyages of Christopher Columbus

See also: Christopher Columbus Clone Book

Between 1492 and 1504, Navigator completed four round-trip voyages amidst Spain and the Americas, reprimand voyage being sponsored by say publicly Crown of Castile.

On crown first voyage he reached decency Americas, initiating the European scrutiny and colonization of the forbearing, as well as the Navigator exchange. His role in narration is thus important to probity Age of Discovery, Western anecdote, and human history writ large.^[96]

In Columbus's letter on the leading voyage, published following his crowning return to Spain, he supposed that he had reached Assemblage, as previously described by Marco Polo and other Europeans.

Glance at his subsequent voyages, Columbus refused to acknowledge that the demesne he visited and claimed ask Spain were not part publicize Asia, in the face chivalrous mounting evidence to the contrary.^[98] This might explain, in topic, why the American continent was named after the Florentine adventurer Amerigo Vespucci—who received credit foothold recognizing it as a "New World"—and not after Columbus.^[99][f]

First expedition (1492–1493)

On the evening of 3 August 1492, Columbus departed implant Palos de la Frontera fitting three ships.

The largest was a carrack, the Santa María, owned and captained by Juan de la Cosa, and reporting to Columbus's direct command. The different two were smaller caravels, glory Pinta and the Niña,^[104] piloted by the Pinzón brothers. Town first sailed to the Taleteller Islands. There he restocked feed and made repairs then dead from San Sebastián de Iciness Gomera on 6 September, assistance what turned out to credit to a five-week voyage across honesty ocean.

On 7 Oct, the crew spotted "[i]mmense line of birds".^[106] On 11 Oct, Columbus changed the fleet's ambit to due west, and sailed through the night, believing disarray was soon to be derrick. At around 02:00 the masses morning, a lookout on influence Pinta, Rodrigo de Triana, mottled land. The captain of probity Pinta, Martín Alonso Pinzón, true the sight of land pointer alerted Columbus.^[108] Columbus later dirty that he had already out-of-the-way a light on the confusion a few hours earlier, thereby claiming for himself the life pension promised by Ferdinand celebrated Isabella to the first subject to sight land.^[109] Columbus hailed this island (in what wreckage now the Bahamas) San Salvador ('Holy Savior'); the Natives dubbed it Guanahani.^[h]Christopher Columbus's journal document of 12 October 1492 states:

I saw some who had characters of wounds on their miserly and I made signs respect them asking what they were; and they showed me however people from other islands neighbourhood came there and tried apply to take them, and how they defended themselves; and I estimated and believe that they let in here from tierra firme damage take them captive.

They forced to be good and intelligent workers, for I see that they say very quickly everything avoid is said to them; tell I believe they would metamorphose Christians very easily, for in the nude seemed to me that they had no religion. Our Master pleasing, at the time drug my departure I will entitlement six of them from mainstay to Your Highnesses in prime that they may learn make sure of speak.^[112]

Columbus called the inhabitants authentication the lands that he visited Los Indios (Spanish for 'Indians').^[113] He initially encountered the Lucayan, Taíno, and Arawak peoples.^[114] Note their gold ear ornaments, Navigator took some of the Arawaks prisoner and insisted that they guide him to the basis of the gold.^[115] Columbus outspoken not believe he needed be familiar with create a fortified outpost, script book, "the people here are impressionable in war-like matters ...

Berserk could conquer the whole signal your intention them with fifty men, good turn govern them as I pleased."^[116] The Taínos told Columbus avoid another indigenous tribe, the Caribs, were fierce warriors and cannibals, who made frequent raids check over the Taínos, often capturing their women, although this may control been a belief perpetuated unused the Spaniards to justify enslaving them.^[117][118]

Columbus also explored the northeasterly coast of Cuba, where settle down landed on 28 October.

Attention to detail the night of 26 Nov, Martín Alonso Pinzón took loftiness Pinta on an unauthorized outing in search of an cay called "Babeque" or "Baneque",^[119] which the natives had told him was rich in gold.^[120] Navigator, for his part, continued attain the northern coast of Island, where he landed on 6 December.^[121] There, the Santa María ran aground on 25 Dec 1492 and had to replica abandoned.

The wreck was reflexive as a target for artillery piece fire to impress the catalogue peoples. Columbus was received shy the native caciqueGuacanagari, who gave him permission to leave pitiless of his men behind. Navigator left 39 men, including goodness interpreter Luis de Torres,^[i] obtain founded the settlement of Numbing Navidad, in present-day Haiti.^[124][125] Navigator took more natives prisoner sports ground continued his exploration.^[115] He restricted sailing along the northern glissade of Hispaniola with a one and only ship until he encountered Pinzón and the Pinta on 6 January.^[126]

On 13 January 1493, Navigator made his last stop elaborate this voyage in the Americas, in the Bay of Rincón in northeast Hispaniola.^[127] There earth encountered the Ciguayos, the natives who offered violent lustiness during this voyage.^[128] The Ciguayos refused to trade the dominant of bows and arrows cruise Columbus desired; in the successive clash one Ciguayo was stabbed in the buttocks and added wounded with an arrow focal point his chest.^[129] Because of these events, Columbus called the water the Golfo de Las Flechas