Which of the British officials defeated the Portuguese at Swally?

Correct answer: (b) Thomas Best

Explanation

Captain William Hawkins reached the Mughal court from Surat in April, 1609, but he could not succeed in obtaining permission to establish a factory at Surat. In 1611, despite Portuguese opposition, Captain Henry Middleton reached Swally (near Surat) and succeeded in obtaining permission from the Mughal governor to trade there. In 1612, Captain Thomas Best defeated the Portuguese at Swally (near Surat) and ended the continuation of their monopoly. After this, with Jahangir’s permission, the English permanently established a factory at Surat in 1613. It is noteworthy that the English had earlier set up their first factory (temporarily) at Masulipatnam. From here, the English expanded their trade to other parts of the country and soon established subsidiary factories at Ahmedabad, Burhanpur, Ajmer and Agra.