answers: Alexander the Great
context: first landfall on the Brazilian coast; later, in the Indian Ocean, one of Cabral's ships reached Madagascar (1501), which was partly explored by Tristão da Cunha in 1507; Mauritius was discovered in 1507, Socotra occupied in 1506. In the same year Lourenço de Almeida landed in Sri Lanka, the eastern island named "Taprobane" in remote accounts of Alexander the Great's and 4th-century BC Greek geographer Megasthenes. On the Asiatic mainland the first factories (trading-posts) were established at Kochi and Calicut (1501) and then Goa (1510). In 1511, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca for Portugal, then the centre of Asian trade. </s> Portuguese presence in Asia The Portuguese presence in Asia was responsible for what would be many first contacts between European countries and the East, starting on May 20, 1498 with the trip led by Vasco da Gama to Calicut (in modern-day Kerala state in India). Portugal's goal in the Indian Ocean was to ensure their monopoly in the spice trade, establishing several fortresses and commercial trading posts. Asia has always exerted a fascination on the Portuguese. Then came the much valued spices, luxury products like ivory, precious stones and dyestuffs. The inaccuracy of geographical knowledge before the discoveries led people </s> Constantinople by the Ottomans, the trade of Venice and Genoa reduced to a great degree. The advantage of the Portuguese to establish a sea route therefore virtually free of assault – however, covered in perils in the sea – showed itself rewarding and outlined a large income to the Crown in the future. Portugal directly linked the spice producing regions to their markets in Europe. Around the year 1481, João Afonso of Aveiro attempted to undertake an exploration of the kingdom of Benin, and gathered information about an almost legendary prince Ogané, whose kingdom was located far to the east
question: who were the first european to come to india