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IOTL the Portguese in the person of Vasco da Gama didn't meet any Christians that were resident in India until late in his second voyage in 1502, Portugal's 3rd expedition to India. Prevously they had taken Hindus for Christians and been extremely agressive against the Muslims in India. Given that the Portuguese landed in Kerala finding actual Christians shouldn't have been too difficult.

Would it have made much difference if da Gama had met actual St Thomas Christians in 1498, before he start shotting the crap out of everything followed by Cabral who also shot the crap out of everything? Would knowing the score on the religious and therefore political front from the very start change da Gama's course of action?
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