Within the Portuguese court, verdicts on Cabral’s voyage were mixed. There was a strong lobby that believed the price had been too high, the distances too great. Manuel had invested heavily in the venture and if the laden ships would provide a handsome return, the loss of life cast a pall. The discovery of land to the west was considered interesting but not significant. The failure to ensure a peaceful outcome at Calicut, the destruction of the trading post and the now clear evidence that the majority of people and their rulers on the coast of India were not Christians added somewhat to the
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