Avery Captures the Ganj-i-Sawai
In September 1695, English pirate Henry Avery intercepted the Ganj-i-Sawai (‘Exceeding Treasure’) — the personal treasure ship of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb — in the Arabian Sea returning from the Hajj pilgrimage. After a two-hour battle, Avery captured what was estimated at £600,000 in gold, silver, and jewels — the richest single pirate prize in history. The attack enraged Aurangzeb, who held the English East India Company responsible for the piracy, arrested EIC factors at Surat, and threatened to expel the Company from India entirely. England issued the first worldwide pirate manhunt; Avery was never caught.
- Year: 1695 CE
- Category: Military
