Cristóvão da Gama
Cristóvão da Gama | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cristóvão da Gama c. 1516 |
| Died | 29 August 1542 (aged 25–26) |
| Occupation | Military commander |
| Known for | Leader of a Portuguese military expedition in Ethiopia |
| Parent(s) | Vasco da Gama Catarina de Ataíde |
| Signature | |
Cristóvão da Gama (c. 1516 – 29 August 1542), anglicised as Christopher da Gama, was a Portuguese military commander who led an army of 400 musketeers on a crusade in Ethiopia (1541–1543) against the Muslim Adal army of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi. He was the son of explorer Vasco da Gama.
He, along with the allied Ethiopian army, was victorious against Adal forces in four battles, but he was seriously wounded in his last battle and was captured, tortured, and executed by Imam Ahmad. Richard Burton, in his First Footsteps in East Africa, referred to Gama as "the most chivalrous soldier of a chivalrous age".