Question

To get permission for trade, English sent Captain Hawkins in 1608 to the court of _____________.
a. Shahjahan
b. Jahangir
c. Aurangzeb
d. Bahadur Shah

Answer 1

Hint:
He was the son of Emperor Akbar. He succeeded the throne with the title Nur-ud-din.

Complete step by step solution:
In 1607, on a voyage to Surat and Aden filled with letters & gifts from King of England James I, William Hawkins commanded the ship "Hector" for East India Company. He arrived in Surat in August 1608, but there was no cakewalk on the road ahead.

It was captured by the Portuguese as soon as Hector sailed in. William Hawkins was advised that the "King of Portugal" belonged to all the ports and that nobody could come here without his license. But, later on, he was let go and got a pass for his travel to Agra. He was supported midway and after much labour, toil, and many dangers by the Viceroy of Burhanpur; on April 16, 1609, he was able to reach Agra. Akbar, who was Queen Elizabeth I's contemporary, was little known in England, but when Hawkins arrived, there was another personality sitting on the throne that was not known in England at all.

But this new Emperor Jahangir, with all Indian hospitality and warmth, received Captain Hawkins. With the help of a Portuguese Jesuit, his letter was read in court. He was then taken to the private audience chamber, and for about 3 hours they had a discussion.

Hawkins was able to establish a foothold in the court of Jahangir, and he got so intimate with the "talented drunkard" emperor in due course of time that no Europeans ever had afterward. He was named “English Khan" by Jahangir. This English Khan was able to convince the Emperor to award a commission to Surat for an English factory, but the award was withdrawn under the pressure of the Portuguese Viceroy. Until 1611, Hawkins remained in the Mughal Emperor's palace, trying to undo the orders, but the Portuguese control over the King was impregnable.


Hence, the correct answer is option B.

Note:
Hawkins knew Turkish and so did Jahangir and some of his ministers, since it was the native tongue of Babur. So, the talks were held in Turkish.