Dutch were the first protestant nation in Europe to reach India via sea. Later, they challenged the trade monopoly of the Portuguese, established their empire and explored all possibilities of trade with India.
ARRIVAL OF DUTCH IN INDIA
Cornelis de Houtman was the first person from Netherlands to take a voyage to the East. It was in 1595.
But he was not the first Dutch to reach India. Jan Huyghen Van Linschoten had been in Goa for six years. His experience and knowledge helped Cornelis de Houtman’s voyage.
In 1596, he reached Sumatra and Bantam. This sea voyage’s success gave life to the Dutch’s objective of trading with the East.
INITIAL PERIOD OF UNITED EAST INDIA COMPANY OR DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY
The success resulted in the birth of new companies chasing one aim, and this hampered the Dutch ambition.
So, with the grant of a charter on 20 March 1602, all companies were merged into one big company by the States-General. Thus, the United East India Company of Netherlands was born. Its first governor-general was Pieter Both.
This new company had a domination of Zealand, the maritime state. When compared with other trading companies in Europe, the United East India Company or the Dutch East India Company had the character of a national enterprise. This company got trading rights in all countries between the Strait of Magellan and the Cape of Good Hope.
OBJECTIVES OF UNITED EAST INDIA COMPANY
The main objective of the Dutch was not religion or empire. They only had an aim, i.e., to trade and profit from spices.
Dutch were considered monopolists and not imperialists. Later, they tried to raise an empire to safeguard their trading interests.
FIRST DUTCH TREATY WITH AN INDIAN STATE
It was in 1603 that the Dutch East India Company launched an expedition to India under the command of Stevan Van Der Hagen.
Admiral Stevan reached Kozhikode or Calicut and met its ruler, Zamorin or Samoothiri of Calicut.
On November 11, 1604, they conceded a political agreement for a mutual alliance for expelling the Portuguese from Calicut.
This treaty between Zamorin and the Dutch is considered the first treaty between the Dutch and an Indian power.
REAL FOUNDER OF THE EASTERN DUTCH EMPIRE
Jan Pieterszoovn Coen, the second Governor-General of the Dutch East India Company, is considered the founder of the Dutch empire in the East. He served as the Governor-General from 1618 to 1623 and 1627 to 1629.
Jan Pieterszoon Coen worked on the foundation laid by his predecessors. For example, Amboyna was captured in 1605 by the Dutch from the Portuguese.
Dutch captured Batavia in 1639 and Malaca in 1641. They expelled the Portuguese from their last Srilankan settlement in 1658 and tried to block Goa.
In 1619, Coen captured Jakarta, and Batavia was founded above its ruins.
REASONS FOR THE SUPERIORITY
The Dutch had better resources and superior seamen when compared with other European powers.
These factors helped them to expel the Portuguese from their strongholds.
The English were also excluded from the East Indies or Indonesia. The capture of the English factory at Amboyna was a severe blow to English ambitions.
DUTCH FACTORIES IN INDIA
In 1603, they opened at Masulipatanam to purchase cotton goods. In 1606, they secured a Farman from the ruler of Golconda. This Farman fixed import and export at four per cent. From here, they also exported indigo and diamonds.
They opened another factory at Pulicut in 1610. In 1617, the chief of Pulicut got the title of governor. In 1689, the office of the governor was shifted to Negapatanam.
Porto Novo was erected in 1680 to trade cotton.
In 1653, the Dutch governor of Coromandel constructed a factory in Chinasurah. Balasore was retained only for the convenience of Dutch vessels. They also secured considerable concessions from Bengal Nawab. These concessions helped them export silk, saltpetre, rice, opium and other goods.
To secure a monopoly in the pepper trade, they not only opened factories in different parts of Kerala but also interfered when local chiefs clashed with each other. Chettuvai, Purakkad, Quilon, and Cochin factories helped them to source good quality pepper.
The other important Dutch factories in India were at Surat (1616), Kasimbazar and Patana (1658).
The trade interests of England and the Netherlands resulted in a bitter trade rivalry. This rivalry resulted in the loss of trade.
AMBOYNA MASSACRE
In 1623, the execution of ten Englishmen and nine Japanese at Amboyna( Malaka, Indonesia) who were attached to the service of the English East India Company by agents of the Dutch East India Company is known as the Amboyna massacre.
The reason for their execution was treason. This incident marked the climax of Dutch hatred of the English.
REASONS FOR THE DECLINE OF DUTCH POWER IN INDIA
- The Dutch were forced to encounter the growing power of English and French. They didn’t maintain a strong force to counter the growth of other European rivals. In 1759, the Dutch were defeated by the English in Bengal in the battle of Bidera or Hoogly and lost Nagapatanam. This incident forced them to accept English supremacy.
- Dutch were more interested in the East Indies and started to concentrate there.
- Even though the Dutch capital in India was Nagapatanam or Negapatanam, all the decisions were taken by a body called Gentleman XVII. This governing body was stationed at Batavia. This distance created delays in making important decisions.
- The state of Travancore defeated the Dutch at the Kulachel or Colechal battle in 1741. This defeat toppled the Dutch ambitions on the Kerala coast.
- Their strict adherence to the policy of commercial monopoly was a serious mistake.
- The corruption of company officers was another reason. A fifty per cent profit was made on the company’s turnover, but corruption created a steady decline in the general balance sheet.
- The directors discouraged the settlement of free burghers in the colonies.
- The Dutch involvement in the American war against England and the Revolutionary War in 1793 weakened their position in India.
DUTCH ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
Important decisions were governed by a body of 17 directors located in Batavia.
A commander and a council-controlled the local possessions.
After the commander, the second in rank was the Chief Administrator, who was responsible for the commercial interests of the Dutch.
They were assisted by civil staff and a compact, well-disciplined Navy and support land forces.
In general, the Dutch displayed tolerance when compared to the Portuguese.
RELIGIOUS POLICY OF DUTCH IN INDIA
They were generally liberal and tolerant, but Protuguse was intolerant and cruel.
They tried to expel catholic priests from their domain. For example, in Cochin, they expelled Catholic priests and pulled down the Jesuit library. They converted Jesuit churches into arms and ammunition depots.
BATTLE OF COLACHEL OR BATTLE OF KOLACHEL AND ITS AFTER-EFFECTS
Marthanda Varma and the Travancore forces defeated the Dutch in 1741 in the battle of Kolachel or Colachel near Kanyakumari.
This shattered the Dutch ambitions on the Kerala coast. The Eustachius De Lannoy became the Chief Captain of Travancore. He reorganised the Travancore Nair Brigade into a modern army like the European Armies.
Dutch also agreed not to help any local kingdoms or principalities in war and would not disturb the English factories of Anjengo, Vizhinhjam, and Edava.
The 1753 treaty of Mavelikara made these agreements formal and resulted in the eclipse of Dutch power in Kerala.
