Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Khyber Pass along the Kabul-Qandahar route served as the natural defense for India during the Mughal era. Successive rulers prioritized securing these western outposts to balance the rise of powerful empires in the region.
Akbar captured Qandhar in 1595 to establish a defensible frontier against Uzbek threats. The strategic importance lay in controlling Afghan and Baluch tribes who possessed a tribal sense of independence difficult to manage otherwise.
Mariam-uz-Zamani, wife of emperor Akbar, built a massive trading ship named Rahimi for trade and Haj pilgrims at the Khizri Darwaza on the Ravi River. This vessel homeported in Surat but often traveled to Jeddah, the port near Mecca on the Red Sea.
Total Mughal attempts included three efforts: twice under Aurangzeb and once under Dara Shukoh, elder son of Shah Jahan. Aurangzeb led an army of 50,000 against Persians but could not capture the fort despite defeating them.
William Hawkins, captain of Hector, arrived at Surat in India on the 24th of August 1608 to negotiate consent for a factory from Emperor Jahangir. Hawkins gained trust from emperor Jahangir and was appointed as Mansabdar or military governor of Mughal territories.