Page 43 - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters

Textiles from India were of substantial importance when bartering for many products in Asia. The earliest lasting contacts were on the Coromandel Coast where the influence of the Portu- guese was not as strong as on the west coast. Trading posts around India were established from the early th century including a long strip along the Coromandel Coast where the VOC es- tablished various trading posts and strongholds to secure trade. The important textile factory on the northern coast in Masulipatnam was established in . The VOC Governor for the Coromandel had his residence in Palecatte (Pulicat) on the south coast, which also served as the VOC headquarters for the region until . The Dutch had to fight many European com- petitors to protect this essential trade. An almost constant state of war with the Portuguese prevailed. This and the internal conflicts between the local rulers, forced the VOC to organise their trade from strongholds like the fort Geldria in Paleacatte, built in  with the consent of the local ruler. The town and the fort of Nagapatnam were captured from the Portuguese in . The ramparts and most of the houses were destroyed in  by what might have been a tsunami. The VOC built an impressive fort on the ruins and this became the new headquarters for the VOC presence on the Coast after . The military action of  organised by Van Goens as military commander in the region finally removed the Portuguese from Ceylon, and reinforced the VOC’s position on the Coast of Coromandel. Another important centre for textiles in this region was Bengal, located on the delta of the river Ganges. The Dutch had already explored Bengal for trading purposes in , but it took until the late s before the VOC established trade relations there on a large scale. The Mon- gols, the rulers of Bengal, granted the European companies trade concessions. Once in position, it was important for the Europeans to maintain diplomacy in the form of embassies to the Great Mongol. Since , the VOC had established itself deep inland in Chinsura near Hooghly. It was very difficult for larger ships to reach this place. Apart from textiles, other important com- modities were silk, opium and sugar. Saltpetre was a key raw material for the production of gunpowder and was also used as paying ballast. The VOC managed to get a foothold in Arra- can (the modern Myanmar) after . The VOC exports from this area were mostly slaves and rice. Although several attempts were made in the earlier period, it was only in the s, that the VOC considered establishing a land-based military operation in Ceylon. Until then, the VOC could not do much more than patrol and capture Portuguese ships in the region around Galle. In , a contract was signed between the King of Kandy, Radja Singa, and the VOC for mili- tary assistance in removing the Portuguese from Ceylon. As a reward, the VOC were to get trade privileges. Trade items controlled by the King, like elephants and cinnamon, were to cover the expenses of the military operation. The Dutch finally succeeded in capturing Galle from the Portuguese in . During the s and ‘s the VOC was able to take control of the coastal area from the Portuguese. Radja Singa had hoped to remove or take over the Portu- guese fortifications, but the Dutch retained them as a pledge against the payment of expenses. That proved of course to be a two-edged sword, since the debt was set at so high a price that the King was by no means able to meet it. Very disappointed, Radja Singa had to conclude that the assistance by the Dutch in regaining authority over the coastal areas of Ceylon had changed nothing for Ceylon other than the nationality of the occupier: they had simply replaced chilli for ginger! Ceylon played an important role in regional trade and shipping. For some years in the sec- ond half of the th century, when a direct shipping link was operative with Euorpe, Ceylon was also able to play an intercontinental role under the dynamic leadership of Rijcklof van Goens Sr. This direct link reflected the central role of Ceylon in the trade of Coromandel, Surat, Arabia and Persia. In their search for textiles, the VOC also expanded their activities to the other side of India. The Portuguese had their powerbase in this sector and establishing trade connections was therefore more of a risky business for the VOC. In Surat in the north (around the modern Gu- jarat), they could only do so with the permission of the local ruler, the Great Mongol. This centre for textiles had already been visited in , but it took until  before the VOC was able to set up a trading post there. Once again, diplomacy was essential to retaining the trade concessions and reinforcing the VOC’s position against other competitors. During the s, The Dutch expansion in Asia up to  