Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
Encyclopedia
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty
signed between the United Kingdom
and the Netherlands
in London
on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
. For the Dutch, it was signed by Hendrik Fagel and Anton Reinhard Falck
and for the UK, George Canning
and Charles Watkin Williams Wynn.
, as well as issues regarding the rights to trade that existed for hundreds of years in the Spice Islands between the two nations, was a treaty that addressed a wide array of issues and did not clearly describe the limitations of expansion by either side in the Malay world. The British establishment of Singapore
on the Malaya Peninsula in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles exacerbated the tension between the two nations, especially as the Dutch claimed that the treaty signed between Raffles and the Sultan of Johore was invalid, and that the Sultanate of Johore was under the Dutch sphere of influence
. The questions surrounding the fate of Dutch trading rights in British India and formerly Dutch possessions in the area also became a point of contention between Calcutta and Batavia. In 1820, under pressures from British merchants with interests in the Far East, negotiations to clarify the situation in Southeast Asia started.
Negotiations between Canning and Fagel started on 20 July 1820. The Dutch were adamant on the British abandonment of Singapore. Indeed, Canning was unsure of the exact circumstances under which Singapore was acquired, and at first, only non-controversial issues such as free-navigation rights and the elimination of piracy were agreed upon. Discussions on the subject were suspended on 5 August 1820, and did not resume until 1823, by which time the commercial value of Singapore was well-recognized by the British. The negotiations resumed on 15 December 1823, by which time the discussion became centered around the establishment of clear spheres of influence in the region. The Dutch, realizing that the growth of Singapore could not be curbed, pressed for an exchange in which they abandoned their claims north of the Strait of Malacca
and its Indian colonies in exchange for the confirmation of their claims south of the strait, as well as the British colony of Bencoolen. The final treaty was signed on 23 March 1824.
and Malaysia, on the basis of "most favoured nation", but they must obey local regulations. It limits the fees that may be charged on the subjects and ships of the other nation. They also agree not to make any further treaties with Eastern states that exclude trade with the other nation. They agree not to use their civil and military forces to hinder trade. They agree to oppose piracy
and not provide hiding places or protection to pirates or allow the sale of pirated goods. They agree that their local officials can not open new offices on East Indies islands without permission from their government in Europe.
All the transfers of property and establishments were to take place on 1 March 1825. They agreed that the return of Java to the Netherlands, as according to a Convention on Java of 24 June 1817, had been settled, apart from a sum of 100,000 pounds sterling to be paid by the Netherlands in London
before the end of 1825. The treaty was ratified by the UK on 30 April 1824 and by the Netherlands on 2 June 1824.
into two; Malaya
, which was ruled by the United Kingdom
, and the Dutch East Indies
, which was ruled by the Netherlands
. The successor states of Malaya and Dutch East Indies are Malaysia and Indonesia
, respectively. The line that separated the spheres of influence between the British and the Dutch ultimately became the border
between Indonesia and Malaysia (with a small segment becoming the border
between Indonesia and Singapore).
The treaty came at a time as the influence of the British East India Company was waning and the individual merchant was gaining more influence within Great Britain. The emphasis on territory and sphere of influence is consistent with former EIC policies in India and elsewhere, but even as the four-years long negotiations went on, the existence of Singapore strongly started to favor the new independent merchants and their houses. As this came at the heels of the termination of the monopoly the EIC had on the area, the subsequent rise of Singapore as a free port and the first example of the new British free-trade imperialism can be seen as a direct result on the confirmation of its status in the treaty.
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
signed between the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands in London on August 13, 1814...
. For the Dutch, it was signed by Hendrik Fagel and Anton Reinhard Falck
Anton Reinhard Falck
Anton Reinhard Falck was a Dutch statesman.He studied at the University of Leiden, and entered the Dutch diplomat service, being appointed to the legation at Madrid, Spain...
and for the UK, George Canning
George Canning
George Canning PC, FRS was a British statesman and politician who served as Foreign Secretary and briefly Prime Minister.-Early life: 1770–1793:...
and Charles Watkin Williams Wynn.
History
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, designed to solve many of the issues that had arisen due to the British occupation of Dutch properties during the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, as well as issues regarding the rights to trade that existed for hundreds of years in the Spice Islands between the two nations, was a treaty that addressed a wide array of issues and did not clearly describe the limitations of expansion by either side in the Malay world. The British establishment of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on the Malaya Peninsula in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles exacerbated the tension between the two nations, especially as the Dutch claimed that the treaty signed between Raffles and the Sultan of Johore was invalid, and that the Sultanate of Johore was under the Dutch sphere of influence
Sphere of influence
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or conceptual division over which a state or organization has significant cultural, economic, military or political influence....
. The questions surrounding the fate of Dutch trading rights in British India and formerly Dutch possessions in the area also became a point of contention between Calcutta and Batavia. In 1820, under pressures from British merchants with interests in the Far East, negotiations to clarify the situation in Southeast Asia started.
Negotiations between Canning and Fagel started on 20 July 1820. The Dutch were adamant on the British abandonment of Singapore. Indeed, Canning was unsure of the exact circumstances under which Singapore was acquired, and at first, only non-controversial issues such as free-navigation rights and the elimination of piracy were agreed upon. Discussions on the subject were suspended on 5 August 1820, and did not resume until 1823, by which time the commercial value of Singapore was well-recognized by the British. The negotiations resumed on 15 December 1823, by which time the discussion became centered around the establishment of clear spheres of influence in the region. The Dutch, realizing that the growth of Singapore could not be curbed, pressed for an exchange in which they abandoned their claims north of the Strait of Malacca
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
and its Indian colonies in exchange for the confirmation of their claims south of the strait, as well as the British colony of Bencoolen. The final treaty was signed on 23 March 1824.
Terms
The treaty holds that subjects of the two nations are permitted to trade in territories of British India, Ceylon and modern-day IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysia, on the basis of "most favoured nation", but they must obey local regulations. It limits the fees that may be charged on the subjects and ships of the other nation. They also agree not to make any further treaties with Eastern states that exclude trade with the other nation. They agree not to use their civil and military forces to hinder trade. They agree to oppose piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
and not provide hiding places or protection to pirates or allow the sale of pirated goods. They agree that their local officials can not open new offices on East Indies islands without permission from their government in Europe.
- British subjects to be given trade access with the Maluku IslandsMaluku IslandsThe Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
, in particular with AmbonAmbon IslandAmbon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
, BandaBanda IslandsThe Banda Islands are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about south of Seram Island and about east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. The main town and administrative centre is Bandanaira, located on the island of the same name. They rise...
and TernateTernateTernate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the center of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate....
. - The Netherlands cedes all of its establishments on the IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n sub-continent ( Dutch IndiaDutch IndiaDutch India is a term used to refer to the settlements and trading posts of the Dutch East India Company on the Indian subcontinent. It is only used as a geographical definition, as there has never been a political authority ruling all Dutch India...
from 1609 ) and any rights associated with them. - The UK cedes its factory of Fort Marlborough in BencoolenBengkuluBengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is on the southwest coast of the island of Sumatra, and borders the provinces of West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung. The capital and largest city is Bengkulu city. It was formerly the site of a British garrison, which they called Bencoolen...
(Bengkulu) and all its property on the island of SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
to the Netherlands and will not establish another office on the island or make any treaty with its rulers. - The Netherlands cedes the city and fort of MalaccaMalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and agrees not to open any office on the Malay peninsulaMalay PeninsulaThe Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
or make any treaty with its rulers. - The UK withdraws its opposition to the occupation of the island of BillitonBelitungBelitung, , is an island on the east coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in the Java Sea. The island is known for its pepper and for its tin. It was in the possession of the British from 1812 until the British ceded control of the island to the Dutch in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824...
by the Netherlands. - The Netherlands withdraws its opposition to the occupation of the island of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
by the UK. - The UK agrees not to establish any office on the Carimon IslandsKarimunFor the car, see Suzuki KarimunKarimun is one of the islands in the Riau Islands province of Indonesia. It is southwest of Singapore and west of Batam. The island's main city is Tanjung Balai Karimun. As of 1997, the island had a population of 155,000.In the past, Karimun was the destination of...
or on the islands of BatamBatamBatam is an island and city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located off Singapore's south coast...
, BintanBintanBintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community....
, Lingin, or any of the other islands south of the strait of Singapore, or to make any treaties with the rulers of these places.
All the transfers of property and establishments were to take place on 1 March 1825. They agreed that the return of Java to the Netherlands, as according to a Convention on Java of 24 June 1817, had been settled, apart from a sum of 100,000 pounds sterling to be paid by the Netherlands in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
before the end of 1825. The treaty was ratified by the UK on 30 April 1824 and by the Netherlands on 2 June 1824.
Implications
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 officially divided the Malay worldMalay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
into two; Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, which was ruled by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
, which was ruled by the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The successor states of Malaya and Dutch East Indies are Malaysia and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, respectively. The line that separated the spheres of influence between the British and the Dutch ultimately became the border
Indonesia-Malaysia border
The border between the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia and Malaysia consist of both a land border separating the two countries' territories on the island of Borneo as well as maritime boundaries along the length of the Straits of Malacca, in the South China Sea and in the Celebes Sea.The...
between Indonesia and Malaysia (with a small segment becoming the border
Indonesia-Singapore border
The Indonesia–Singapore border is a maritime boundary in the Straits of Singapore between Indonesia's Riau Islands which lie to the south of the border, and the islands of Singapore which lie to the north...
between Indonesia and Singapore).
The treaty came at a time as the influence of the British East India Company was waning and the individual merchant was gaining more influence within Great Britain. The emphasis on territory and sphere of influence is consistent with former EIC policies in India and elsewhere, but even as the four-years long negotiations went on, the existence of Singapore strongly started to favor the new independent merchants and their houses. As this came at the heels of the termination of the monopoly the EIC had on the area, the subsequent rise of Singapore as a free port and the first example of the new British free-trade imperialism can be seen as a direct result on the confirmation of its status in the treaty.