The course aims to analyze the role of the VOC within European colonialism in Asia during the 17th and 18th centuries in order to understand the evolution of those territories and the impact on Asian societies of the time.
Course Prerequisites
A good knowledge of modern history is required. Anyone who has never taken a modern history exam is advised to reread the textbook.
Teaching Methods
Lectures
Assessment Methods
Students' preparation will be assessed through an oral exam during which they will have to demonstrate their understanding of the topics covered during the course.
Texts
Recommended bibliography for the scholars For the assiduously participants of the course (at least two thirds of the lessons) the lecture of this text Emmers, Pieter C. e Gommans, Jos J.L., The Dutch Overseas Empire, 1600-1800, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2021, pp. 1-123, 245-399 For the not participants, it’s obligatory the lecture of one of this books Boxer, C.R., The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800, London, Penguin, 1990. Brandon, Pepijn, War, Capital, and the Dutch State (1588-1795), Leiden – Boston, Brill, 2015. Parthesius, Tobert, Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters. The Development of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) Shipping Network in Asia 1595-1660, Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 2010.
Contents
The first true joint-stock company, the VOC, within a few decades, managed to gain almost complete control of trade relations between Asia and Europe. The course will analyze the company's policies toward Asian societies and the interrelationships between the European world and Eastern cultures.
