Battle of Swally 1612
Also called: Battle of Suvali · Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Battle of Swally (or Suvali) was a sea battle fought in November 1612 off Swally, near Surat. English East India Company ships defeated a stronger Portuguese fleet. Until then the Portuguese had controlled the Arabian Sea. The win showed the Mughals that the English could stand up to them, and it helped the English win trading rights at Surat.
Example
At Swally in 1612, English ships under Captain Thomas Best fought off the Portuguese fleet. Soon after, the Mughal emperor Jahangir allowed the English to open a factory at Surat. A factory here means a trading post with warehouses, not a place where goods are made. Surat became one of the first English footholds in India.
Don't confuse with
- Battle of Colachel (1741): in this battle an Indian king, Marthanda Varma of Travancore, defeated the Dutch. It was not a fight between two European powers.