Which European explorer discovered the direct sea route to India by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope?

Introduction / Context:
The discovery of a direct sea route from Europe to India was a turning point in world history and marked the beginning of a new era of global trade and colonial expansion. This question asks you to identify the European explorer who successfully reached the Indian coast by sailing around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope. This fact is fundamental in both world history and Indian history syllabi.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question concerns the discovery of a direct sea route to India.
• The route was achieved by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern end of Africa.
• Options include Babur, Vasco da Gama, Galileo, Ferondoz, and Christopher Columbus.
• You are expected to know which of these names is linked with the first successful voyage to India by sea.

Concept / Approach:
Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, led an expedition that sailed from Europe around the Cape of Good Hope and reached Calicut on the western coast of India in 1498. This opened a new sea based trade route between Europe and Asia. Babur was a Central Asian ruler who founded the Mughal Empire and did not discover sea routes. Galileo was an Italian scientist who worked in astronomy and physics. Christopher Columbus reached the Americas, not India, while seeking a western route to Asia. Therefore, connecting the specific event of reaching India by sea around Africa points clearly to Vasco da Gama.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the milestone described: discovery of the direct sea route to India around the Cape of Good Hope. Step 2: Recall that this voyage was undertaken under the Portuguese flag, not by Spanish or other explorers. Step 3: Remember that Vasco da Gama is named in textbooks as the Portuguese navigator who reached Calicut in 1498. Step 4: Examine the options and note that Babur was a land based conqueror, Galileo a scientist, and Columbus associated with America, not India. Step 5: Select Vasco-da-Gama as the correct answer because he fits both the nationality and the specific navigational achievement.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by remembering the standard sequence taught in history chapters: first, Bartholomew Diaz reaches the Cape of Good Hope, and later Vasco da Gama successfully completes the journey to India. Maps and timelines of the age of exploration consistently place Vasco da Gama as the one who opened the sea route from Europe to India. No credible history text credits Babur, Galileo, or Columbus with this achievement, so the presence of these names further confirms that they are distractors.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Babur is wrong because he founded the Mughal Empire by entering India over land from the northwest; he was not a navigator. Galileo was an astronomer and physicist in Italy, famous for his work with telescopes and motion, not for voyages of exploration. Ferondoz is not recognised in standard exam material as a discoverer of any sea route. Christopher Columbus is associated with voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that resulted in the European discovery of the Americas, not India. Therefore, none of these options match the route around the Cape of Good Hope to India.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse Columbus and Vasco da Gama because both sailed in the late fifteenth century and sought routes to Asia. Another pitfall is to pick a familiar name like Babur when unsure, even though his role was on land. To avoid such errors, it helps to group explorers by direction: Columbus sailed west and reached America, while Vasco da Gama sailed south and then east around Africa to India. Creating such simple mental diagrams before exams can make these distinctions easier to recall.

Final Answer:
The explorer who discovered the direct sea route to India by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope was Vasco-da-Gama.