Pêro da Covilhã | |
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 Effigy of Pero da Covilhã in theMonument of the Discoveries, inLisbon, Portugal | |
| Born | c. 1460 |
| Died | After 1526 |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Occupation(s) | Explorer, spy, diplomat |
| Known for | Explorations in the Near East and the adjoining regions of Asia and Africa. |
Pêro da Covilhã (Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈpeɾuðɐkuviˈʎɐ̃]; c. 1460 – after 1526), sometimes writtenPero de Covilhã, was a Portuguese diplomat and explorer.[1]
He was a native ofCovilhã inBeira. In his early life he had gone toCastile and entered the service of Don Juan de Guzmán, brother ofEnrique de Guzmán, 2nd Duke of Medina Sidonia. Later, whenwar broke out between Castile and Portugal, he returned to his own country, and attached himself, first as a groom, then as a squire, toAfonso V of Portugal and his successorJohn II of Portugal.[2] In 1487, his overland expedition made its way to India, exploring trade opportunities with the Indians and Arabs, and winding up finally in Ethiopia. His detailed report was eagerly read in Lisbon, as Portugal became the world's best informed center for global geography and trade routes.[3]
Covilhã was an adventurer of low birth but an adept swordsman and loyal servant to the Portuguese Crown. His fluency in Arabic and Castilian allowed him to perform undercover operations in Spain as well as undertaking secret negotiations in Morocco on behalf of KingJohn II of Portugal.[4] These successful exploits prodded the King to send him andAfonso de Paiva to undertake a mission of exploration in the Near East and the adjoining regions of Asia and Africa, with the special assignment to learn wherecinnamon and other spices could be found, as well as of discovering the land of legendaryPrester John, by overland routes.[5][6]Bartolomeu Dias, at the same time, went out to by sea find the Prester's country, as well as the termination of the African continent and the ocean route to India.[2]
The expedition started atSantarém, on May 7, 1487. Covilhã and Paiva were briefed by the Bishop of Tangiers and two Jewish mathematicians, Rodrigo and Moisés, who were prominent members of the commission which advised the Portuguese government to reject the proposals ofChristopher Columbus. The explorers were presented with a "letter of credence for all the countries of the world"[2] and a navigational map of the Middle East and Indian Ocean, likely drawn from the cartographical work ofFra Mauro. From Santarém they travelled byBarcelona toNaples, where their bills of exchange were paid by the sons ofCosimo de' Medici. Next, they went toRhodes and acquired a stock of honey so they could portray themselves as merchants while traveling in the Arab world. Afterwards, they sailed toAlexandria.[4]
Following a fever that struck both men, the two explorers took a boat up the Nile toCairo and later a caravan across the desert to the ports ofEl-Tor andSuakin. They sailed across the Red Sea toAden where, as it was now themonsoon, they parted. Covilhã proceeded to India and Paiva toEthiopia. They agreed to meet again in Cairo at a later date.[2]
Covilhã caught a tradingdhow across the Indian Ocean toCalicut, the hub of the spice trade. By 1488, he was inGoa and later sailed north toOrmuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, another hub of the Indian Ocean. This reconnaissance allowed Covilhã to collect and record information about sailing routes, winds, currents, ports and politics. From Ormuz, he sailed down the east coast of Africa and eventually toSofala, the farthest point of Arab navigation in the southern Indian Ocean. At Sofala, Covilhã investigated the feasibility of rounding Africa by sea and how best to navigate its east coast. By 1491, he had returned to Cairo, having successfully scouted the major trade routes of the Indian Ocean.[7]
Back in Cairo he learnt that Paiva had died, somewhere on the way to Ethiopia. Meanwhile, KingJohn II of Portugal had sent two Portuguese Jews: Rabbi Abraham of Beja andJosé Sapateiro, a shoe-maker ofLamego with letters for Covilhã and Paiva outlining further instructions. The King ordered that both men return to Lisbon but not before that "had seen and found out about the great KingPrester John". Through José Sapateiro, Covilhã replied with an account of his Indian and African journeys, and of his observations on thecinnamon,black pepper andclove trade at Calicut, together with advice as to the ocean way to India. He recommended that the Portuguese should sail south along the coast of Africa and the seas of Guinea. The first objective in the eastern ocean, he added, was Madagascar; from this island one could reach Calicut.[2]
With this information José returned to Portugal, while Covilhã, with Abraham of Beja, again visitedAden andOrmuz. At the latter he left the rabbi; and visitedJeddah, the principal port of Arabia, and penetrated (as he toldFrancisco Álvares many years later) even toMecca andMedina. Finally, viaMount Sinai,El-Tor and across theRed Sea, he reachedZeila, where he struck inland to the court ofPrester John (Ethiopia).[2]
Here he was honorably received by theEmperorEskender; lands and lordships were bestowed upon him, but Eskender refused to grant him permission to leave, and his successors evaded granting Covilhã permission. According toJames Bruce, Covilhã maintained a correspondence with the king in Portugal, describing Ethiopia as "very populous, full of cities both powerful and rich".[8]
In 1507, he was joined by João Gomes, a priest sent byTristão da Cunha, who had reached Ethiopia by way ofSocotra. When the Portuguese embassy under Rodrigo de Lima, which includedEthiopian ambassador Mateus and missionaryFrancisco Álvares, entered Ethiopia in 1520, Covilhã wept with joy at the sight of his fellow-countrymen. It was then forty years since he had left Portugal and over thirty since he had been a prisoner of state in Ethiopia. Álvares, who professed to know him well, and to have heard the story of his life, both in confession and out of it, praises his power of vivid description as if things were present before him, and his extraordinary knowledge of all the spoken languages of Christians, Muslims and Gentiles. His services as an interpreter were valuable to Rodrigo de Lima's embassy.[2]Covilhã was well treated but was not allowed to leave the country for the rest of his life.[9]
Covilhã's extensive travels in the medieval world saw him visit the modern day states of Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique, Iran,Eritrea and Ethiopia.These journeys, together with the maritime achievements ofBartolomeu Dias, were instrumental in paving the way for subsequent Portuguese expeditions, most significantly thePortuguese discovery of the sea route to India byVasco da Gama in 1497.
Covilhã's arrival in Ethiopia also marked the beginning of Portuguese-Ethiopian relations which culminated in the formal invitation for the Portuguese to interfere directly in the affairs ofAbyssinia in theEthiopian–Adal War of 1541. The sustained Portuguese presence in Ethiopia also led to the influx ofJesuit missionaries into the country although their success at converting the population to Catholicism was mixed. From their base in the city ofFremona, the Jesuits were able to convert the Ethiopian EmperorsZa Dengel andSusenyos I to the faith in the 17th century but this resulted in a series of devastating rebellions and revolts against Catholic rule. Following the abdication ofSusenyos I in favor of his sonFasilides in 1631, the Jesuits were expelled from the country resulting in several centuries of little to no contact between Ethiopia and Europe.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Covilham, Pero".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 344–345.| International | |
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