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Dutch Colonial Policy in the Seventeenth Century

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2011

George Masselman
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Extract

During the seventeenth century the Dutch had possessions in almost every continent, but their main interest was and continued to be the Malay Archipelago, now known as Indonesia. The search for these islands, known to be the source of spices, had launched die Age of Discovery with the explosive effect of opening the whole world to the countries of Western Europe. The Portuguese and Spanish had divided the world between themselves by the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494). Their aim was twofold: exploitation of newly discovered lands and a crusade to spread the Christian faith. England and the Dutch Republic, both Protestant, refused to abide by this arbitrary division, which had been sanctioned by die Pope. Both countries defended the principle that “the sea was as free as the air.”

Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Economic History , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , December 1961 , pp. 455 - 468
Copyright
Copyright © The Economic History Association 1961

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References

1 The word “Indonesia” was coined by Adolf Bastian, a German ethnologist, in the latter part of the nineteenth century.

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4 Fifteen dukes and earls, thirteen countesses and ladies of title, eighty-two knights, judges and privy councillors.

5 Such “parts” were of varying denominations, some as small as 1/192, enabling almost anyone to participate.

6 Jonge, de, Opkomst, pp. 93–94.Google Scholar Plancius was a noted geographer.

7 Verre, meaning “afar” or “far away.”

8 The term “merchant” was applied to those officers who attended to the economic aspect of a venture, as distinct from the navigators. Their ranks were Assistant or Sub-merchant, Merchant and Chief-merchant.

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24 Ibid., pp. 451–52. Subsequent quotations from same source.

25 “He who wants all, loses all.”

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27 , Colenbrander, Jan Pietersz. Coen (1919), I, 420–21Google Scholar.

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