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The rise and fall of the Dutch in Dhaka

EastBengalPro

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A View of Chinsura, the Dutch settlement in Bengal; by William Hodges, 1787 (BL)

India has always been considered a haven for various businesses by European traders. For ages it was renowned for its prosperity and was popular for its spices. Since the 15th century, European traders started to appear on the Indian ocean and subcontinent, adding to the traders who came from Arab, Iran or China. First came the Portuguese; afterwards, more than a century later, came the Dutch. We generally call them "Olondaj" in Bengali (from the word Hollandia). In 1602 a few Dutch businessmen founded the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC in Dutch or the United East India Company in English) in order to establish trade routes and links with the orient (defunct in 1799).

In a short period of time, the Dutch would expand their businesses to various corners of the world, especially in East Asia and South Africa. They reached Bengal in 1607, but settled and built a trading post in Chinsura, Hooghly a bit later in 1635 after getting a farman (official permission to engage in trading) from the Mughal subadar (governor). The Dutch governor of Coromandel (present day Karnataka in South India) sent some people to set up a trading centre in Bengal, although like the Portuguese, the Dutch were probably also involved in piracy and slave trading along the Bengal coastline in the 1620s.

One after another they started setting up trading posts at different locations— one of which was Dhaka—in India. They came to Dhaka for the first time in 1636, but it turned out to be a tragic experience for them. It was a supposed to be diplomatic mission consisting six people, but even before starting from Hooghly, they had some form of altercation with the local authorities and were arrested. They reached Dhaka in handcuffs. They did manage to secure their freedom from the Mughal court in Dhaka, but had to pay handsomely to provide gifts for the nawab. They also had to bear the transportation costs and the payment of the blacksmith for breaking their handcuffs. Moreover, they were beaten up and badly bruised, and as a result had to be treated by doctors. So, they had to pay medical bills as well. The situation was so hostile that they then had to buy a boat and pay the boatmen in order to go back to Hooghly. It cost them more than a thousand taka, a huge sum in those days. The only achievement for them was an agreement with the Nawab regarding business.

dutch_in_dhaka_3.jpg

Part of a Dutch map showing Dhaka and environs, including Keraniganj (“Carannigons”) and “Damerah” (Demra?), c. 18th century.Source: Depiction of Dhaka in Dutch Records

But their settlement in Dhaka was neither established, nor did they gain a stronghold following this incident. They again tried to set up a trade centre in Dhaka in 1666. This time, they contacted an official of the Nawab's court named Rajendralal to create a favourable situation. They also appointed a Bengali-speaking assistant, Gangaram, in their trade factory. But by this time they were wary of trusting local people because of their past unfortunate and bitter experiences. Gradually, the Dutch established their trading house, offices, factory and garden in Dhaka starting from the 1660s and these were in operation till 1785.

The Dutch factory was located by the Buriganga River, at the site of present day Mitford Hospital. This was also their office. They had a garden in the vicinity of Farmgate, probably somewhere between what is now the Ananda Cinema Hall and Tejturi Bazar area. These locations can be seen in the map of Major Rennell (1781). The trade post of Dhaka was under direct control of the trade centre of Chinsura, Hooghly, which itself was operating under supervision of the Dutch trading office of Coromandel. The main centre for business and trade office for them in Southeast Asia was situated in Jakarta, Batavia (present day Indonesia). So, as its importance grew, the factory in Chinsura, Hooghly of Bengal came under the direct guidance of Batavia.

François Bernier, a French traveller who visited Dhaka in 1665–1666, stated that the Dutch had a monopoly over cloth export from Dhaka. They generally exported to Europe and Japan. Their other main export item was Saltpetre or Niter (locally known as sora), one of the main ingredients for producing gunpowder. They used to collect huge amounts of saltpetre mainly from Bihar for which they had also set up a refinery there. In the same time period, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a 17th-century French gem merchant and traveller who visited Dhaka in the 1660s, saw a beautiful warehouse of the Dutch in Dhaka

dutch_in_dhaka_2.jpg

Dutch V.O.C. factory in Hoegly (Hugli-Chuchura, Bengal)Painting by Hendrik van Schuylenburgh, 1665

In many businesses in Bengal the Dutch were pioneers and frontrunners. In 1746, they even got a farman for a monopoly over export of opium from Bengal. But in the same decade, the British trading power started to gain grounds and their main competitor was the Dutch. Inevitably, this struggle for superiority and profit led to serious confrontations. In 1759, the battle of Chinsura took place between the Dutch and British, in which the Dutch lost decisively, though their military or naval power was no less mighty. By that time, the British had already cornered all the other European powers in Bengal after their important victory in the battle of Plassey (1757). As a result, the Dutch never regained their financial or political power after 1759, despite their continued presence in Dhaka or Bengal.

plan_of_dutch_factory_at_chinsura_hooghly_1721.jpg

Plan of Dutch Factory at Chinsura, Hooghly (1721)

Eventually, between1781–83, the British took possession of all Dutch trading centres and posts. The one at Dhaka surrendered in 1781 and the Dutch garden at Farmgate was also handed over. Their businesses in the city virtually ended at that time. The magistrate transferred the house (Dutch Trade office) to the collector of Dhaka in 1801 and the authorities demolished it with help from the police. The rubble was used to repair roads of the city. In 1810, the authorities proposed a hospital at the site (the present Mitford hospital). Finally in 1824, the Dutch government handed over all their belongings in India to their British counterparts through a treaty between them. With the official transfer in June, 1825, the Dutch left Dhaka, Bengal and India for good.

The British business interested tried to remove all their political and business competitors, and they were very successful in doing so. Mostly as a display of power, they destroyed the beautiful trading house of the Dutch in Dhaka, even then more than a century old; and repaired the roads with the debris. There is no evidence today of the Dutch Garden in present day Farmgate, other than its depiction in the old maps of the city. However, when the chief of the Dutch Factory in the city, Mr Langkheet died in 1775, he was buried in the then English cemetery (now at Narinda). This is the only remaining sign of the Dutch in Dhaka today.

Bibliography:

1. Ahmad Hasan Dani, ‘Dacca: a record of its changing fortunes’, Dacca museum, Dacca, 1956

2. Basil Copleston Allen, ‘Dacca : Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers’, The Pioneer Press, Allahabad,1912.

3. Kalikinkar Datta, ‘The Dutch in Bengal and Bihar, 1740-1825 A.D.’, University of Patna, 1948.

4. F. F. J. M. Florus Geraedts, ‘The Dutch in Dhaka’, ‘400 years of Capital Dhaka and Beyond’, Chief Editor: Sharif Uddin Ahmed, July 2011.

5. Lennart Bes, ‘Depiction of Dhaka in Dutch Records’, ‘400 years of Capital Dhaka and Beyond’, Chief Editor: Sharif Uddin Ahmed, July 2011.

6. James Rennell, ‘A Bengal Atlas’, The East India Company, 1781

http://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/the-rise-and-fall-the-dutch-dhaka-1530046
 
Are there any people of Dutch descent in current day Bangladesh ?
 
Not really...the Dutch probably didn't get married to locals.

Surprising given the fact Dutch assimilated way more than other major colonial powers with local populations

From Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) to Zeylan (Sri Lanka), Boer in South Africa and Surinam in the Caribbean they left large legacy of Dutch communities behind

I’m of Dutch Burgher descent myself, A community particular to Sri Lanka
 
Surprising given the fact Dutch assimilated way more than other major colonial powers with local populations

From Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) to Zeylan (Sri Lanka), Boer in South Africa and Surinam in the Caribbean they left large legacy of Dutch communities behind

I’m of Dutch Burgher descent myself, A community particular to Sri Lanka

Depends on the objectives of the Dutch people in question...and how long they saw themselves sticking around for trade etc.

The Dutch (East India Company) in Formosa were quite segregated till the Chinese (Ming dynasty remnant forces who were nearly thoroughly defeated in the mainland by the Manchu) mounted an assault on their main fort...and I believe notable intermarriage happened after that...I believe that small part of Taiwan still has a few dutch looking people with more european hair colour and stuff.

Interesting read:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Zeelandia
 
Depends on the objectives of the Dutch people in question...and how long they saw themselves sticking around for trade etc.

The Dutch (East India Company) in Formosa were quite segregated till the Chinese (Ming dynasty remnant forces who were nearly thoroughly defeated in the mainland by the Manchu) mounted an assault on their main fort...and I believe notable intermarriage happened after that...I believe that small part of Taiwan still has a few dutch looking people with more european hair colour and stuff.

Interesting read:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Zeelandia

Welcome back Brah, Yes not just in Formosa but there is a small community of Japanese of Dutch descent as well, Holland as a colonial power were much softer in thier approach to natives.. They integrated and intermarried as well in large numbers, Hence why you get mix breed mongrels like me :D

Just suprised it’s didn’t happen to that extent in the Indian subcontinent in parts they controlled, Perhaps because they were there for shorter time ?
 
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Surprising given the fact Dutch assimilated way more than other major colonial powers with local populations

From Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) to Zeylan (Sri Lanka), Boer in South Africa and Surinam in the Caribbean they left large legacy of Dutch communities behind

I’m of Dutch Burgher descent myself, A community particular to Sri Lanka

So much Indo Netherland off spring and their descent , especially in Europe. Robijn Van Persie, Nigel De Jong, Giovani van Bronckhost, Mark Van bommel, Eddi van Halen, Sandra Reemer, Sergio van Dijk, john heitinga, demy de zeew, tielman brothers, kristin kreuk, Radja Nainggolan, Michelle branch and etc.

We got several Dutchman and their descent as our National hero too and several of them got medal for their contribution to the Nation , like Muhammad Husni Thamrin, Cornellis Princen, Ernest Francois Douwes Dekker, even our notorious KOPASSUS unit is being founded and trained by Dutchman and an Indo (bernadus visser and alex evert kawilarang)

Our ex Ministry of defense is an Indo, Juwono Sudarsono.
 
We have Bangladeshi PDF member of 50% dutch descent - his name is @damiendehorn.

He hasn't been back for a while though....
He is a descendant of Olondaj traders?? or a moder Dutch Bangali?

Surprising given the fact Dutch assimilated way more than other major colonial powers with local populations

From Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) to Zeylan (Sri Lanka), Boer in South Africa and Surinam in the Caribbean they left large legacy of Dutch communities behind

I’m of Dutch Burgher descent myself, A community particular to Sri Lanka
In that case I might be wrong because I have never seen any Dutch descendants here...but than again Bangladeshis in general don't really keep track of their ancestry that much...some might be told that they are this or that ancestry by their parents or grandparents but that's about it...there is no way to verify it or no detail track records to be referenced.
 
So much Indo Netherland off spring and their descent , especially in Europe. Robijn Van Persie, Nigel De Jong, Giovani van Bronckhost, Mark Van bommel, Eddi van Halen, Sandra Reemer, Sergio van Dijk, john heitinga, demy de zeew, tielman brothers, kristin kreuk, Radja Nainggolan, Michelle branch and etc.

We got several Dutchman and their descent as our National hero too and several of them got medal for their contribution to the Nation , like Muhammad Husni Thamrin, Cornellis Princen, Ernest Francois Douwes Dekker, even our notorious KOPASSUS unit is being founded and trained by Dutchman and an Indo (bernadus visser and alex evert kawilarang)

Our ex Ministry of defense is an Indo, Juwono Sudarsono.

Dated a dutch girl, she was one quarter indonesian...she definitely had a bit of indonesian cute face to her hehe :)

Just suprised it’s didn’t happen to that extent in the Indian subcontinent in parts they controlled, Perhaps because they were there for shorter time ?

Yup essentially, French and British had taken most of the best ports mostly (in addition to what the portuguese could retain and defend from them) in subcontinent (in the long term scenario after the Dutch flame had subsided)....so Dutch East India company consolidated and made East Indies (Indonesia) their main base of operation...and mostly it was just commercial trade deployment with the subcontinent ports within the existing structures the Brits and French had (of course after 7 years war+napoelonic wars, it would turn nearly completely british in subcontinent)....after Dutch ceded pretty much all their control there after their "prime" period.

During the prime period, there was not much political control/activity by Dutch past the port regions. I think for intermarriage and stuff, you need some modicum of protracted political control because that actually gets bulk deployment of garrisons, bureaucrats, priests etc...and hence why we have anglo-Indian as a community etc. Sri Lanka, Dutch were able to exercise more political control when they were there (it coincided with their strongest power projection), hence the Burgher community....elsewhere I think its very small residuals if any (and probably got absorbed by later anglo-Indians too).

If you read journals and such of the captains of the vessels + port officials + administrators etc...generally the European powers in peacetime (back home) didnt care too much about challenging each other once they got established more long term (rather visiting power would work under the framework of the established power of the area). Of course the established power could levy import and export tariffs so to get their "cut" as they saw it.

The survivors from the HMS bounty mutiny made it to Timor which was under portuguese control at the time...and were treated very well even though they were British etc. I believe Singapore itself originally was under Dutch control, and Raffles simply had a swap for British Bencoolen in Sumatra (boy what a bargain deal heh). Yep peacetime was pretty good for the European powers overall in the area :P.

But I guess far from home, surrounded by vastly different cultures and peoples, yeah you tend to be in-groupey overall unless theres long term potential to staking political control...and even then only some mixing happens....and of course dependent on the elapsed time.
 
He is a descendant of Olondaj traders?? or a moder Dutch Bangali?


In that case I might be wrong because I have never seen any Dutch descendants here...but than again Bangladeshis in general don't really keep track of their ancestry that much...some might be told that they are this or that ancestry by their parents or grandparents but that's about it...there is no way to verify it or no detail track records to be referenced.

We Dutch Burghers on the other hand are pioneers of keeping records in the island, Our genealogical records run in to several centuries back in to Europe all kept in the Dutch reformed Church of Ceylon and the Dutch Burghetr Union of Colombo.. I have traced back my Paternal ancestry to current day Flanders in Belgium and maternal line to North West Germany

I Guess as @Nilgiri rightly mentioned it all depended on how well and how long they were established in those regions they colonized, Ceylon was highly influenced by Dutch culture, To this day its laws, food , Language, architecture and places are directly influenced by Dutch and of cause thier descendants who have had great impact on Lankan society.. The only country that it’s constitution recognizes the Dutch Burgher as a distinct ethnicity
 
We Dutch Burghers on the other hand are pioneers of keeping records in the island, Our genealogical records run in to several centuries back in to Europe all kept in the Dutch reformed Church of Ceylon and the Dutch Burghetr Union of Colombo.. I have traced back my Paternal ancestry to current day Flanders in Belgium and maternal line to North West Germany

I Guess as @Nilgiri rightly mentioned it all depended on how well and how long they were established in those regions they colonized, Ceylon was highly influenced by Dutch culture, To this day its laws, food , Language, architecture and places are directly influenced by Dutch and of cause thier descendants who have had great impact on Lankan society.. The only country that it’s constitution recognizes the Dutch Burgher as a distinct ethnicity

Alot of the Burgers look like Sri Lankans though?
 
Alot of the Burgers look like Sri Lankans though?

Lol.. That’s because we are Lankan

Burghers are Eurasian not European, Plus nowadays anyone with European ancestry is classified as Burgher including Portuguese Creole’s and Anglo Lankan’s, But the Burgher community is originally of Dutch origin and they come in varying degrees of admixture like any other ethnic groups, After decades of intermarriage with Sinhalese and Tamils it shouldn’t be a surprise

They can look like this..

29BD8CC5-6081-4C21-810A-0D45E427EAF9.jpeg


7B12F53D-70D6-45E6-B689-7B6496EDBD4F.jpeg


Or this

45764E86-ACB3-4684-84D5-591B4F0E21BC.jpeg


EDE6E218-3B13-45CC-B2B2-B6CD1F4567A1.jpeg


Or Even more darker in complexion
 
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