Final answer:
The explorers who sailed to India are Zheng He, who led a massive Chinese expedition from 1405, and Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer who found an all-water route to India in 1498. Zheng He's voyages focused on trade and diplomacy, while the Portuguese sought trade monopolies and engaged in military confrontations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Explorers Who Sailed to India
The question pertains to the voyages of exploration to India. One of the most renowned figures is Zheng He, who lived from 1371 to 1433 and led seven significant expeditions, travelling from China through Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and to East Africa. Zheng He's first expedition, which departed in 1405, was remarkable for its sheer size, involving 317 ships with a contingent of 27,000 men. These included sailors, soldiers, scholars, and craftspeople. Their journey took them from Fujian, China, to various trade points such as the Kingdom of Champa in Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and finally to Calicut in India. Besides Zheng He, another prominent figure who reached India by sea was Vasco da Gama. In 1498, Da Gama successfully found an all-water route from Europe to India, landing in Calicut and ushering in a new era of European exploration and trade in the Indian Ocean.
Zheng He's voyages were primarily about trade and diplomacy. He brought back valuable items and foreign diplomats to meet the Chinese emperor. On the other hand, after Da Gama's successful trip, the Portuguese, led by Pedro Alvares Cabral, established a trading post at Calicut and engaged in a more aggressive trade policy, seeking monopolies and directly eliminating competition.
Both Zheng He and Vasco da Gama were pioneers in establishing maritime links with India, but their motives and methods were distinct. Zheng He's peaceful trade and diplomatic missions contrast sharply with the commercial aggression and military confrontations that characterized the Portuguese forays into the Indian Ocean.