Stuart Jeffries for The Spectator

On September 7, 1695, the twenty-five-ship Grand Mughal fleet was returning through the Red Sea after its annual pilgrimage to Mecca when it was attacked by five pirate ships.  In the ensuing battle, the pirates’ leader, an Englishman variously known as Henry Avery, Henry Every, the King of Pirates and Long Ben, seized precious jewels and metals worth £600,000 — equivalent to around $118 million today.

Read the full article on the Spectator website