Which of the following statements is correct regarding Captain Hawkins?

1. He came to India in 1611 as an envoy of James-I.
2. He was very well versed in the Turkish language.

Key Fact(s)

Captain William Hawkins, an officer of the English East India Company, came to India in 1608, not in 1611, as an envoy of King James I of England, making statement 1 incorrect. He visited the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir to seek trading privileges for the English.

Statement 2 is correct because Hawkins was fluent in the Turkish language, which proved extremely useful at the Mughal court, where Turkish (Chagatai) was widely understood. His linguistic skills helped him gain personal favor with Jahangir. However, strong Portuguese opposition limited his success in securing permanent concessions. Hence, only statement 2 is correct.