Cornelis de Houtman
Encyclopedia
Cornelis de Houtman brother of Frederick de Houtman
, was a Dutch
explorer who discovered a new sea route from Europe
to Indonesia
and managed to begin the Dutch spice trade. At the time, the Portuguese Empire
held a monopoly on the spice trade, and the voyage was a symbolic victory for the Dutch, even though the voyage itself was a disaster.
merchants to Lisbon
to discover as much information on the Spice Islands
as he could. At the same time as he returned to Amsterdam, Jan Huygen van Linschoten returned from India. The merchants determined that Bantam
(Banten
) provided the best opportunity to buy spices. In 1594 the merchants founded the company 'compagnie van Verre
' (meaning "the long-distance company"), and on April 2, 1595 four ships left Amsterdam: Amsterdam, Hollandia, Mauritius and Duyfken
.
The voyage was beset with trouble from the beginning. Scurvy
broke out after only a few weeks due to insufficient provisions. Due to quarrels among the captains and traders, several were killed or imprisoned on board. At Madagascar
, where a brief stop was planned, further complications led to many more deaths, and the ships remained there for six months on a deathwatch. (The Madagascan bay where they were anchored is now known as the "Dutch Cemetery".) On June 27, the ships finally arrived at Banten
, a northwestern port in Java. Only around a hundred of the original 249 men had survived the voyage.
The local Portuguese traders introduced de Houtman to the Banten sultan
, who promptly entered into an optimistic treaty with the Dutch, writing "We are well content to have a permanent league of alliance and friendship with His Highness the Prince Maurice of Nassau, of the Netherlands and with you, gentlemen." Unfortunately, de Houtman was undiplomatic and insulting to the sultan, and was turned away for "rude behaviour" without being able to buy any spices at all.
The ships then sailed east to Madura
, but were attacked by pirates on the way. In Madura, they were received peacefully, but de Houtman ordered his men to brutally attack and rape the civilian population in revenge for the unrelated earlier piracy.
The ships then sailed for Bali
, and met with the region's king. They finally managed to obtain a few pots of peppercorns on February 26, 1597. Portuguese
ships prevented them from taking in water and supplies at St. Helena. Out of the 249 man crew, only 87 returned, too weak to moor their ships themselves.
On September 11, 1599, Cornelis de Houtman and his troops got confrontation with Aceh
because of his rude temperament, and soon there were fierce battle with Aceh Navy which led by Aceh's woman admiral, Keumalahayati
(Malahayati). In one battle, Malahayati
successfully killed Cornelis de Houtman. And since that accident, Queen Elizabeth I from England decided to sent an emissary to Aceh Sultan for asking their permission to enter Malacca Strait.
. Within five years, sixty-five more Dutch ships had gone East to trade. Soon, the Dutch would fully take over the spice trade in and around the Indian Ocean
.
Frederick de Houtman
Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...
, was a Dutch
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...
explorer who discovered a new sea route from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to 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...
and managed to begin the Dutch spice trade. At the time, the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
held a monopoly on the spice trade, and the voyage was a symbolic victory for the Dutch, even though the voyage itself was a disaster.
The voyage
In 1592 Cornelis de Houtman was sent by AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
merchants to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to discover as much information on the Spice Islands
Maluku Islands
The 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...
as he could. At the same time as he returned to Amsterdam, Jan Huygen van Linschoten returned from India. The merchants determined that Bantam
Bantam (city)
Bantam in Banten province near the western end of Java was a strategically important site and formerly a major trading city, with a secure harbor on the Sunda Strait through which all ocean-going traffic passed, at the mouth of Banten River that provided a navigable passage for light craft into...
(Banten
Banten
Banten is a province of Indonesia in Java. Formerly part of the Province of West Java, it was made a separate province in 2000.The administrative center is Serang. Preliminary results from the 2010 census counted some 10.6 million people.-Geography:...
) provided the best opportunity to buy spices. In 1594 the merchants founded the company 'compagnie van Verre
Compagnie van Verre
The Compagnie van Verre was a forerunner of the Dutch East India Company.-History:It was set up in 1594 by nine citizens of Amsterdam, to break Portugal's monopoly on the pepper trade. To do this, it sent an expedition of three heavily-armed ships and a pinnace under the leadership of Cornelis de...
' (meaning "the long-distance company"), and on April 2, 1595 four ships left Amsterdam: Amsterdam, Hollandia, Mauritius and Duyfken
Duyfken
Duyfken was a small Dutch ship built in the Netherlands. She was a fast, lightly armed ship probably intended for shallow water, small valuable cargoes, bringing messages, sending provisions, or privateering...
.
The voyage was beset with trouble from the beginning. Scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
broke out after only a few weeks due to insufficient provisions. Due to quarrels among the captains and traders, several were killed or imprisoned on board. At Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, where a brief stop was planned, further complications led to many more deaths, and the ships remained there for six months on a deathwatch. (The Madagascan bay where they were anchored is now known as the "Dutch Cemetery".) On June 27, the ships finally arrived at Banten
Banten
Banten is a province of Indonesia in Java. Formerly part of the Province of West Java, it was made a separate province in 2000.The administrative center is Serang. Preliminary results from the 2010 census counted some 10.6 million people.-Geography:...
, a northwestern port in Java. Only around a hundred of the original 249 men had survived the voyage.
The local Portuguese traders introduced de Houtman to the Banten sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
, who promptly entered into an optimistic treaty with the Dutch, writing "We are well content to have a permanent league of alliance and friendship with His Highness the Prince Maurice of Nassau, of the Netherlands and with you, gentlemen." Unfortunately, de Houtman was undiplomatic and insulting to the sultan, and was turned away for "rude behaviour" without being able to buy any spices at all.
The ships then sailed east to Madura
Madura
Madura is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately 4,250 km². Madura is administered as part of the East Java province. It is separated from Java by the narrow Strait of Madura.-History:...
, but were attacked by pirates on the way. In Madura, they were received peacefully, but de Houtman ordered his men to brutally attack and rape the civilian population in revenge for the unrelated earlier piracy.
The ships then sailed for Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, and met with the region's king. They finally managed to obtain a few pots of peppercorns on February 26, 1597. Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
ships prevented them from taking in water and supplies at St. Helena. Out of the 249 man crew, only 87 returned, too weak to moor their ships themselves.
On September 11, 1599, Cornelis de Houtman and his troops got confrontation with Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
because of his rude temperament, and soon there were fierce battle with Aceh Navy which led by Aceh's woman admiral, Keumalahayati
Keumalahayati
Keumalahayati or Malahayati , was an admiral in the navy of the Aceh Sultanate, which ruled the modern area of Aceh Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Her troops were drawn from Aceh's widows and the army named the "Inong Balee", after the Inong Balee Fortress near the city of Banda Aceh...
(Malahayati). In one battle, Malahayati
Keumalahayati
Keumalahayati or Malahayati , was an admiral in the navy of the Aceh Sultanate, which ruled the modern area of Aceh Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Her troops were drawn from Aceh's widows and the army named the "Inong Balee", after the Inong Balee Fortress near the city of Banda Aceh...
successfully killed Cornelis de Houtman. And since that accident, Queen Elizabeth I from England decided to sent an emissary to Aceh Sultan for asking their permission to enter Malacca Strait.
Repercussions
Though the trip was a humanitarian disaster and financially probably just broke even, it was a symbolic victory. It may be regarded as the start of the Dutch colonisation of 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...
. Within five years, sixty-five more Dutch ships had gone East to trade. Soon, the Dutch would fully take over the spice trade in and around the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.