Previous Year Question
Arrange the following foreign travellers in chronological order of their arrival in India:
I. William Hawkins
II. Ralph Fitch
III. Sir Thomas Roe
IV. Nicholas Dawnton
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
II, I, IV and III
IV, II, I and III
I, III, II and IV
III, II, IV and I
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The correct chronological order is Ralph Fitch → William Hawkins → Nicholas Downton → Sir Thomas Roe.
Among these four, Ralph Fitch came to India first. His journey to the East began in 1583, and his travels are generally dated to 1583–1591. He visited India during the reign of Akbar and travelled through Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Bengal and other regions. His accounts provided English merchants with early information about India and eastern trade.
Next came William Hawkins in 1608. He was a representative of the English East India Company, and his ship Hector reached Surat. He subsequently travelled to Agra and attempted to obtain commercial privileges for the Company at the court of Jahangir.
The third was Nicholas Downton. His voyage to the East Indies took place during 1614–1615. He was associated with the maritime activities of the East India Company and was active during the period of Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the waters of western India.
The latest among them was Sir Thomas Roe. King James I of England appointed him ambassador to the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. His diplomatic mission in India lasted from 1615 to 1619, during which he attempted to secure more durable commercial privileges for English trade in the Mughal Empire.
Thus, according to the years of their arrival, the sequence is — Ralph Fitch (1583) → William Hawkins (1608) → Nicholas Downton (1614) → Sir Thomas Roe (1615).