GMAT Sentence Correction (SC) | Re: In 1495, after nearly a century in which they battled

@sshrivats, @aditya8062,

Yes now I can feel that subtle difference in meaning.

What if sentence were written as follwing, would it be right ?
Castilians battled against native Guanches more brutally than the occupying Portuguese ever had.
Castilians battled against native Guanches more brutally than the occupying Portuguese ever had battled.

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