East India Flashcards
(14 cards)
The Importance of India
To start, think back to the Age of Exploration—Columbus and his quest for the Indies, essentially India and Asia. For centuries, Europeans used the Silk Road, a network of trade routes between Europe and Asia, to access exotic goods like silk, spices, opium, and rare animals. India was seen as a paradise and a vital hub for trade, which is why Europeans, particularly the English, sought control over it.
Early Imperialism in India
In the 16th and 17th centuries, France, Portugal, and England competed for influence along India’s southeastern coast, establishing trading posts. Over time, England emerged dominant, pushing out rivals and subduing native Indian groups despite frequent conflicts.
The East India Company
The English East India Company (1600–1874) was a powerful trading entity with a monopoly in India, trading goods like tea and spices. It raised a private army, controlled vast territories, and became the agent of British imperialism. After the 1757 Battle of Plassey, the Company ruled much of India, funneling wealth into Britain and making India a key colonial asset.
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the British Raj
The Indian Rebellion of 1857, led by Indian soldiers in the East India Company’s army, exposed resentment toward British rule. After its suppression, the British Crown assumed control of India under the 1858 Government of India Act, starting the British Raj (1858–1947). The East India Company was dissolved in 1874.
What was the Dutch East India Company?
The Dutch East India Company, active in the 1600s and 1700s, controlled Indonesia and dominated the spice trade between Asia and Europe, operating thousands of ships and using local puppet rulers to maintain power.
What does VOC stand for?
Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie
History of the Dutch East India Company
In the mid-1500s, the Netherlands revolted against Spain, leading to nearly 80 years of conflict. By the end of the 1500s, the Dutch Republic was established. This allowed Dutch merchants to expand trade, particularly targeting the lucrative Indonesian spice trade.
Rise of the VOC
In 1602, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was formed with a trade monopoly in Southeast Asia. Using a joint-stock model, it spread risk among investors. The VOC rapidly expanded, establishing posts in Indonesia, India, and Japan, and dominated European trade with Asia, making immense profits from spice sales.
Ascendancy of the VOC
The VOC expanded into Indonesia, controlling many islands through direct rule or local allies. With its own army and navy, the VOC conquered local forces and rival European companies. Focused on profit, it exploited Indonesia’s people for spice plantations, leading to widespread poverty.
Conflict with the VOC
The VOC faced several setbacks in the 1600s, including conflicts with the Ming Empire, which limited its expansion into China. In 1662, Ming loyalists captured the VOC’s Fort Zeelandia in Taiwan, ending Dutch rule there. The VOC also struggled against European rivals, especially during wars with England, which drained its resources. By the 1700s, England and France dominated trade in India and Southeast Asia, respectively.
Fall of the VOC
By the mid-1700s, the VOC declined due to European rivals, stronger local forces, and internal corruption. The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780s) dealt a major blow, and in 1799, the Dutch government ended the VOC’s monopoly. Despite this, the Dutch established the Dutch East Indies colony in Indonesia, continuing to profit from local labor until after WWII.
Characteristics of the VOC
The VOC was a trading company that transported spices and goods between Asia and Europe. Major items included nutmeg, mace, cloves, pepper, dyes, coffee, and sugar, all sold at high prices in Europe. Enslaved people were also taken to VOC plantations in Indonesia or sold.
Trade Routes of the VOC
Dutch traders traveled from Indonesia to Europe via the Indian Ocean, African coast, and Cape of Good Hope, establishing ports and ruling South Africa through the VOC until Britain took control. The Dutch West India Company managed colonies in the Americas.
Mercantilism
A strategy that effectively blocked out many smaller merchants. Additionally, it kept smaller European states, especially England, from making a fortune on trade, which explains why so many early English mariners were actually pirates.
