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Ralph Fitch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1550 |
| Died | 1611 (aged 60–61) England |
| Occupation(s) | merchant, explorer |
| Known for | Traveled via the Levant and Mesopotamia to India then Burma and Malacca (in Malaysia) (1583–1591) |
Ralph Fitch (1550 – 1611) was a gentleman, a merchant of London and one of the earliest British travellers and merchants to visit Mesopotamia, the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, South Asia, and Southeast Asia including the court of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. At first he was no chronicler but he did eventually write descriptions of the Southeast Asia he saw in 1583–1591, and upon his return to England, in 1591, became a valuable consultant for the English East India Company.[1][2]