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With reference to the Captain Hawking's, which of the following statements is correct?
(1) He came to India in 1611 as an envoy of James - I.
(2) He was very well versed in Turkish language.
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: Captain William Hawkins arrived at the port of Surat in August 1608 (not 1611) aboard the ship Hector. He reached the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir in April 1609 as a representative of King James I to seek trade concessions.
Statement 2 is correct: Hawkins was proficient in the Turkish language, which was the ancestral tongue of the Mughals. This allowed him to communicate directly with Jahangir without an interpreter. The Emperor was so impressed by Hawkins' linguistic skills and conduct that he gave him a mansab (rank) of 400, a salary, and the title 'English Khan'. Hawkins remained at the Mughal court until 1611, which is likely the reason for the date confusion in the first statement.