Previous Year Question
With reference to the Captain Hawking's, which of the following statements is correct?
He came to India in 1611 as an envoy of James – I.
He was very well versed in Turkish language.
Both 1 and 2
Only 2
Only 1
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect. Captain William Hawkins reached India not in 1611, but in 1608 CE. He was associated with the English East India Company and reached Surat aboard the ship Hector. An official Government of India historical account also records the arrival of the first English trading vessel at Surat in 1608, followed by William Hawkins proceeding to the court of Jahangir.
Hawkins carried a letter from King James I of England and his objective was to obtain commercial privileges for the English East India Company within the Mughal Empire. He subsequently travelled to Agra and met Emperor Jahangir.
He should not be confused with Sir Thomas Roe. Roe later arrived in 1615 as the accredited ambassador of James I to Jahangir's court. Therefore, describing 1611 as the year of Hawkins's arrival in India is factually incorrect.
Statement 2 is correct. Hawkins was well versed in the Turkish language. His own travel account records that Jahangir realised Hawkins knew Turkish, a language which the Emperor himself understood well, and thereafter called him for a more private conversation.
Knowledge of Turkish was particularly useful to Hawkins at the Mughal court because it enabled him to communicate with Jahangir without depending entirely on intermediaries. This helped him establish relatively close personal access to the Emperor.
Hawkins's attempt did not immediately secure all the permanent commercial privileges sought by the English, partly because Portuguese influence remained strong at the Mughal court. Nevertheless, his mission represented an important early phase of the diplomatic and commercial efforts of the English East India Company in India.