Correct Option (C):
Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat (reigned 1526-1537 CE), surrendered the strategically important port of Diu to the Portuguese. This occurred in 1534 through the Treaty of Bassein. Facing significant military pressure from the Mughal Emperor Humayun, Bahadur Shah sought an alliance and military assistance from the Portuguese. In exchange for this aid, he ceded control of Bassein and granted them permission to construct a fort at Diu. The Portuguese subsequently fortified Diu, establishing it as a key naval base and trade hub in their Indian Ocean network.
Incorrect Options:
- Ahmad Shah (reigned 1411-1442 CE) was the founder of Ahmedabad and an early ruler of the Gujarat Sultanate. The Portuguese had not yet established a significant presence or exerted pressure for territorial concessions in the region during his reign.
- Mahmud Begarha (reigned 1458-1511 CE) was one of the most powerful Sultans of Gujarat. He actively resisted Portuguese expansion and naval dominance in the Arabian Sea, even forming alliances with other powers like the Mamluks of Egypt against them. He would not have surrendered Diu; rather, he fought to maintain control over maritime trade.
- Muhammad Shah I (reigned 1442-1451 CE) ruled prior to the intense phase of Portuguese territorial demands in Gujarat. Muhammad Shah II (reigned 1537-1554 CE) succeeded Bahadur Shah, by which time Diu was already under Portuguese control, hence he could not have been the one to surrender it.