Ferdinand Magellan: First to Sail Around and Prove Earth’s Shape
Ferdinand Magellan, a Spanish maritime explorer of Portuguese descent born in 1480, joined the Spanish forces of King Charles in 1517 and led the world’s first maritime exploration voyage (1519-1522), during which he proved the earth to be round. He discovered the waterway located in Latin America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which was later named after him as the “Strait of Magellan.” While en route to the Spice Islands in Indonesia, he was killed by Filipino chieftains due to conflicts with their sultan and their national Muslim hero, Lapu-Lapu, before completing his mission.
Early Life and Upbringing
Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480 in Sabrosa, a municipality in the district of Tras-os-Montes in northern Portugal. He belonged to an elite family, as his father was the mayor of the port town of Aveiro, while his mother was a member of the nobility. He grew up and was raised in an environment of care and full attention due to his family’s upper-class status and was passionate about adventures and challenges from an early age.
Education and Training
By virtue of his social status, Ferdinand Magellan received an exceptional education, studying mathematics, astronomy, and maritime navigation. At the age of 12, he was sent to the city of Lisbon, where he served at the court of King Manuel I, who ruled Portugal from 1495 to 1521. While at the court, he received extensive lessons and martial arts training, which prepared him for joining the army in 1505.
Military Experience
Magellan joined the Portuguese army at the age of twenty and, in 1505, traveled with the royal convoy stationed in western India, participating in the missions that occupied eastern Africa. During this period, he focused on naval service and demonstrated his excellence in navigation and maritime strategic planning. When the Portuguese royal forces aimed to conquer the city of Malacca in Malaysia in 1511, Ferdinand was at the forefront of the naval armed forces.
Allegiance to Spain
The spice trade in Europe flourished in the 15th century due to its role in preserving and enhancing the flavor of food. European lands were not conducive to spice cultivation due to the cold climate, leading to the spices being imported via sea routes from the Spice Islands in Indonesia. Portugal and Spain competed for the sea routes to reach these islands, and Portugal dominated the sea route passing through the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, leading to Spain’s resentment.
To avoid conflict between the two countries, as per the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which aimed to resolve disputes over the discovered lands, it was agreed that the coasts of Africa, India, and East Asia belonged to Portugal, while Spain owned the Americas and the territories to the west.
After failing to convince the Portuguese king to support his idea of an exploratory voyage through sailing between continents, Ferdinand Magellan turned to Spain. He arrived in Seville on October 20, 1517, where he met King Charles and informed him that the Spice Islands fell under Spanish geography. The king was convinced and financed an exploratory journey under his leadership.
Maritime Journey
On March 1, 1518, the Spanish king appointed Magellan as a naval admiral and funded a voyage aimed at finding new sea routes and identifying the locations of the spice-rich Spice Islands. Magellan assembled a fleet of 5 ships, the most important being the Trinidad, led by the admiral, and the Victoria, which managed to return from the voyage, with a crew consisting of 270 soldiers from various European cities. They departed from Seville on August 10, 1519, sailing south in the Atlantic waters, skirting the eastern coast of Brazil until they reached the port of San Julian in southern Argentina in March 1520, where they stayed for five months due to inclement weather conditions.
During their stop in Argentina, one of their ships was wrecked, and another returned to Spain, while some of his soldiers rebelled. However, Magellan managed to quell the mutiny and executed some of his aides. In October 1520, he continued south until he reached a strait at the southern tip of the American continent. After 38 days of attempting to cross the strait, known for its shark-infested waters, strong winds, and fierce waves, they reached another ocean, later known as the Pacific Ocean, marking the first discovery of this strait connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which was then named the “Strait of Magellan.” Due to the strong maritime winds, they veered off course from the Spice Islands and the Argentine coasts, leading to a shortage of supplies and food, resulting in the death of several soldiers from scurvy.
On March 6, 1521, Magellan’s expedition reached Guam and replenished their essential supplies before heading towards Cebu in the Philippines.
War with the Filipino People
In a letter to King Charles, Ferdinand Magellan’s plan was to go from Guam to the spice-rich Spice Islands and return to Spain. However, during his stay in Cebu, he forged strong relationships with the local population and sought to bring them under Spanish rule. The inhabitants of Cebu were in conflict with the people of Mactan, who were Muslims, and they extended their help to Magellan, prompting him to join their war to subdue the Muslim communities.
Despite his team advising him to focus on his mission and continue sailing towards the Spice Islands, he refused and was determined to engage in local battles, which ultimately prevented him from completing his nearly successful voyage to reach the spice-rich Indonesian islands and return to Spain.
Death
Ferdinand Magellan died on April 27, 1521, after engaging in battles with the leader of the Muslim Filipino groups on the island of Mactan, Sultan Lapu-Lapu. Some accounts suggest that Magellan intended to convert him to Christianity and incorporate him into Spanish rule.
Following his death, his assistant continued the expedition until they reached the Spice Islands in Indonesia, where the Spanish ships were loaded with spices. On their return journey, the Portuguese forces intercepted the expedition, captured many of its members, and disabled some of their ships.
On September 8, 1522, the ship Victoria reached the Spanish shores, carrying 17 soldiers and a substantial load of spices. It was the only ship to return from the naval fleet that departed on the exploratory journey led by Magellan.
