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Question 10 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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William Hawkins, the English captain who reached Jahangir's court in 1609, was given which title by the emperor?

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Answer: Option C — English Khan (Inglis Khan)

Detailed Solution

William Hawkins, the English captain who reached Jahangir's court at Agra in 1609, was given the title "English Khan" (Inglis Khan) by the emperor.

About William Hawkins:

  • He was an English sea captain and merchant, sent by the English East India Company.
  • He sailed in the ship "Hector" and reached Surat in August 1608.
  • He carried a letter from the English king to the Mughal emperor, asking for permission to trade.
  • He travelled to Agra and reached Jahangir's court in April 1609.

At Jahangir's court:

  • Hawkins spoke Turki (Turkish), which pleased Jahangir, who was able to talk with him directly.
  • Jahangir liked him and made him a mansabdar with a rank of 400, with a salary.
  • He was given the title "English Khan" (Inglis Khan).
  • Jahangir also arranged his marriage to an Armenian Christian woman.
  • He lived at the court for about two and a half years.

His mission:

  • Hawkins tried to obtain a farman allowing the English to trade at Surat.
  • Jahangir at first agreed, but later withdrew the permission because of opposition from the Portuguese, who had strong influence at the court and in the Mughal ports.
  • Hawkins left Agra in 1611 without achieving his aim, and died at sea in 1613 on his way back to England.

His account:

  • He wrote an account of Jahangir's court, describing the emperor's wealth, his drinking, his daily routine and his system of administration.
  • It is an important early English account of Mughal India.

Later English missions:

  • The English later obtained permission to trade at Surat after a naval victory.
  • Sir Thomas Roe came as an official ambassador in 1615.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Khan-i-Khanan was the highest title for a Mughal noble.
  • ✗Amir-ul-Umara was a title for a chief noble.
  • ✗Mirza Raja was a title given to Rajput nobles such as Jai Singh.

Quick tip

Remember: William Hawkins = reached Jahangir's court in 1609; spoke Turki; given the title "English Khan" and a mansab of 400; failed to obtain a farman due to the Portuguese.

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Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in India, the growth of the East India Company, and the battles, wars and treaties through which British power expanded, including the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, and policies such as subsidiary alliance and the doctrine of lapse. Typical questions ask which battle was fought in which year and between whom, which treaty ended which war, and which Governor-General introduced a policy. For example, the Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Practise the arrival of Europeans and expansion of British rule questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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