The Dutch East India Company

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Four centuries ago, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) obtained the monopoly for trade with Asia. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the VOC became the largest shipping and trading company in the world. Through the trade of spices such as pepper and cinnamon – and later also products like silk, tea, and porcelain – the VOC brought the Netherlands a period of unprecedented economic and cultural prosperity. Femme Gaastra highlights all facets of this unique enterprise. Why did this commercial company gain so much political power? How were ships built? How were nearly 5,000 voyages to the East organized? What were the working conditions on board, and what did military support entail? Why did tens of thousands of Europeans voluntarily choose a traveling life full of hardships and great risks? Gaastra vividly illustrates the vast operational territory of the VOC, the products traded, and the profits made during those nearly two centuries. He also sheds light on how competitors were often driven out through harsh means, the supply of spices was enforced, or wars were waged. The history of the VOC compellingly and accessibly shows the rise, flourishing, and decline of a large Dutch trading empire.