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Gentle Janus, Merchant Prince
The VOC and the Tightrope of Diplomacy in the Malay world, 1740-1800
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The Janus face of the Dutch East Indies Companyârepresenting a merchant on one side and a prince on the otherâhas long puzzled historians. How could a commercial enterprise, firmly rooted in a tradition of free trade, turn into a powerful monopolistic empire the moment its ships rounded the Cape of Good Hope?
This book, based on Company archives and Malay historical material, offers a reconstruction of the VOCâs double role in the complex world of eighteenth-century Malay court politics. It describes the successes and failures of the VOCâs political trade system as practised in its tin trade in the Straits of Malacca from 1740 to 1800. Careful consideration is given to the Companyâs relations with the sultanates of Pelembang and Johore, and the position of the VOC with respect to its English and Chinese competitors. The authorâs main thesis is that the VOCâs political mode of operation, far from being a deviation from its proper merchantâs role, was an essential means to achieving success: trade privileges were âboughtâ by rendering political support to indigenous princes. Contrary to popular opinion, however, the system was not based on forced deliveries, the merchant princeâs iron hand. When this resulted in stable and friendly alliances gentle Janusâs system could bear fruit, even in the difficult years of the late eighteenth century.
This book, based on Company archives and Malay historical material, offers a reconstruction of the VOCâs double role in the complex world of eighteenth-century Malay court politics. It describes the successes and failures of the VOCâs political trade system as practised in its tin trade in the Straits of Malacca from 1740 to 1800. Careful consideration is given to the Companyâs relations with the sultanates of Pelembang and Johore, and the position of the VOC with respect to its English and Chinese competitors. The authorâs main thesis is that the VOCâs political mode of operation, far from being a deviation from its proper merchantâs role, was an essential means to achieving success: trade privileges were âboughtâ by rendering political support to indigenous princes. Contrary to popular opinion, however, the system was not based on forced deliveries, the merchant princeâs iron hand. When this resulted in stable and friendly alliances gentle Janusâs system could bear fruit, even in the difficult years of the late eighteenth century.