Dutch Coromandel
Encyclopedia
Coromandel was a governorate of the Dutch East India Company
on the Coromandel Coast
between 1610 until the company's liquidation in 1802. It then became a colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
until 1825, when it was relinquished to the British according to the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
. Dutch presence in the region started by the capture of Pulicat
from the Portuguese. It is part of what is today called Dutch India
.
In 1606, a Dutch ship stopped on the shores of the Karimanal Village near Pulicat
, north of the mouth of the lake requesting water. Local Muslims offered food and help to the Dutch. They struck a trade partnership to procure and supply local merchandise to the Dutch for trade in the East Indies
.
Queen Eraivi, a wife of King Venkata II, ruled Prelaya Kaveri and during her reign in 1608 the Dutch East India Company
was given permission to build a fort and do trading. They built a fort named Geldria
at Pulicat as a defense from local kings and the Portuguese, from where they soon monopolized the lucrative textiles trade with the East Indies and other countries in the region. Under pressure from the Dutch, an English trading post was established in 1619, but this post was disbanded in 1622. The Dutch establishment met with stiff resistance from the Portuguese, who conducted several attacks on the harbor. In 1611, Venkatatapati turned against the Portuguese and the Jesuits were ordered to leave Chandragiri and the Dutch were permitted to build a fort at Pulicat.
The Portuguese tried unsuccessfully to recapture Pulicat in 1614, 1623, and 1633, respectively, but never succeeded. From 1616 to 1690, Pulicat was the official headquarters of Dutch Coromandel.
Manufacture of cloth for export was the sole occupation of several indigenous groups in Pulicat and the hinterlands of Tamil, Telegu and Kannada territories, and it is likely that over 1,000 handlooms operated in Pulicat alone. In the 1620s, the Dutch East India Company established a gunpowder factory in Pulicat. Its output was so substantial that for several decades it was able to keep many of the major Dutch trading centers in the East Indies and homeward-bound fleets well supplied. In 1615, the first VOC mint in India was established in Fort Gelria where, initially, “Kas” copper coins with VOC monogram and a Sanskrit
legend were minted. The Pulicat mint operated till 1674, when a new mint was established at Negapatanam. These coins were widely used in Ceylon.
, in which the British took the fort. In the Treaty of Paris of 1784 which ended the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
of which this siege was part, Negapatnam was not restored to Dutch rule, but instead remained British. The headquarters of the colony shifted back to Pulicat.
By the early 18th century, Pulicat's population has been estimated to have declined to just over 10,000. In 1746, the monsoon failed, resulting in a devastating famine. In the larger towns of Pulicat and Santhome
alone the death toll was put at 15,000 and only one third of the textile weavers, painters and washers survived. Cloth prices increased 15% and little was available even at that price. An even more significant cause of the Dutch decline was conquest of the area by the Golconda
forces commanded by Mir Jumla.
written by Dutch stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange
, British troops occupied Dutch Malabar to prevent it from being overrun by the French. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
restored Dutch Malabar to Dutch rule in 1818, but seven years later the colony was again left to the British, owing to the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
. Except for two short breaks, Dutch rule of Pulicat lasted for 214 years between 1606 and 1825 till the King of Arcot acceded Chingleput
District (which included Pulicat village) to the British in 1825.
(ASI). Dutch architects and scholars now intend to support efforts to restore this early Dutch settlements.
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
on the Coromandel Coast
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent between Cape Comorin and False Divi Point...
between 1610 until the company's liquidation in 1802. It then became a colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
until 1825, when it was relinquished to the British according to the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
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...
. Dutch presence in the region started by the capture of Pulicat
Pulicat
Pulicat is a historic seashore town in Thiruvallur District, of Tamil Nadu state, South India. It is about 60 km north of Chennai and 3 km from Elavur, on the barrier island of Sriharikota, which separates Pulicat Lake from the Bay of Bengal. Pulicat lake is a shallow salt water lagoon...
from the Portuguese. It is part of what is today called Dutch India
Dutch India
Dutch 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...
.
History
Pulicat
Pulicat is a historic seashore town in Thiruvallur District, of Tamil Nadu state, South India. It is about 60 km north of Chennai and 3 km from Elavur, on the barrier island of Sriharikota, which separates Pulicat Lake from the Bay of Bengal. Pulicat lake is a shallow salt water lagoon...
, north of the mouth of the lake requesting water. Local Muslims offered food and help to the Dutch. They struck a trade partnership to procure and supply local merchandise to the Dutch for trade in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
.
Queen Eraivi, a wife of King Venkata II, ruled Prelaya Kaveri and during her reign in 1608 the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
was given permission to build a fort and do trading. They built a fort named Geldria
Fort Geldria
Fort Geldria or Fort Geldaria, located in Pulicat, Tamil Nadu, was the seat of the Dutch Republic's first settlement in India, and the capital of Dutch Coromandel. It was built by the Dutch East India Company in 1613 and became the local governmental centre in 1616. It was named for Geldria, the...
at Pulicat as a defense from local kings and the Portuguese, from where they soon monopolized the lucrative textiles trade with the East Indies and other countries in the region. Under pressure from the Dutch, an English trading post was established in 1619, but this post was disbanded in 1622. The Dutch establishment met with stiff resistance from the Portuguese, who conducted several attacks on the harbor. In 1611, Venkatatapati turned against the Portuguese and the Jesuits were ordered to leave Chandragiri and the Dutch were permitted to build a fort at Pulicat.
The Portuguese tried unsuccessfully to recapture Pulicat in 1614, 1623, and 1633, respectively, but never succeeded. From 1616 to 1690, Pulicat was the official headquarters of Dutch Coromandel.
Manufacture of cloth for export was the sole occupation of several indigenous groups in Pulicat and the hinterlands of Tamil, Telegu and Kannada territories, and it is likely that over 1,000 handlooms operated in Pulicat alone. In the 1620s, the Dutch East India Company established a gunpowder factory in Pulicat. Its output was so substantial that for several decades it was able to keep many of the major Dutch trading centers in the East Indies and homeward-bound fleets well supplied. In 1615, the first VOC mint in India was established in Fort Gelria where, initially, “Kas” copper coins with VOC monogram and a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
legend were minted. The Pulicat mint operated till 1674, when a new mint was established at Negapatanam. These coins were widely used in Ceylon.
The rise and fall of Negapatnam
The headquarters of the colony shifted to Negapatnam in 1690, after the Dutch had begun working on their Fort Vijf Sinnen three years earlier. The heavily armed fort in the end proved useless in the 1781 Siege of NegapatamSiege of Negapatam
The Siege of Negapatam was the first major offensive military action on the Indian subcontinent following the arrival of news that war had been declared between Great Britain and the Dutch Republic, beginning the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, an offshoot of the American War of Independence...
, in which the British took the fort. In the Treaty of Paris of 1784 which ended the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
The Fourth Anglo–Dutch War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, tangentially related to the American Revolutionary War, broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that...
of which this siege was part, Negapatnam was not restored to Dutch rule, but instead remained British. The headquarters of the colony shifted back to Pulicat.
By the early 18th century, Pulicat's population has been estimated to have declined to just over 10,000. In 1746, the monsoon failed, resulting in a devastating famine. In the larger towns of Pulicat and Santhome
Santhome
-History:The word Santhome or San Thome is derived from Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The local Christian belief is that the apostle came to India in A.D.52, was martyred in A.D.72 at St.Thomas Mount in the City and was interred in Mylapore. A church was built over his...
alone the death toll was put at 15,000 and only one third of the textile weavers, painters and washers survived. Cloth prices increased 15% and little was available even at that price. An even more significant cause of the Dutch decline was conquest of the area by the Golconda
Golconda
Golconda may be:Places:* Golkonda, ruined city and fortress in India* Golconda, Illinois, town in the United States* Golconda, Nevada, former town in the United StatesOther:* Golconda...
forces commanded by Mir Jumla.
Occupation by the British and subsequent cession
Owing to the Kew LettersKew Letters
The Kew Letters were a number of letters, written by stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange between 30 January and 8 February 1795 from the "Dutch House" at Kew Palace, where he temporarily stayed after his flight to England on 18 January 1795...
written by Dutch stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange
William V, Prince of Orange
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
, British troops occupied Dutch Malabar to prevent it from being overrun by the French. 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...
restored Dutch Malabar to Dutch rule in 1818, but seven years later the colony was again left to the British, owing to the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
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...
. Except for two short breaks, Dutch rule of Pulicat lasted for 214 years between 1606 and 1825 till the King of Arcot acceded Chingleput
Chingleput
Chingleput or Chengalpattu or Chengalpet is a city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The name of the city is derived from the old nomenclature 'chenkazhuneer patru'...
District (which included Pulicat village) to the British in 1825.
Dutch Coromandel today
Pulicat today bears silent testimony to the Dutch, with the Dutch Fort dating back to 1609 in ruins, a Dutch Church and Cemetery with 22 protected tombs dating from 1631 to 1655 and another Dutch Cemetery with 76 tombs and mausoleums protected by the Archaeological Survey of IndiaArchaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(ASI). Dutch architects and scholars now intend to support efforts to restore this early Dutch settlements.
Forts and trading posts
| Settlement | Type | Established | Disestablished | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Geldria Fort Geldria Fort Geldria or Fort Geldaria, located in Pulicat, Tamil Nadu, was the seat of the Dutch Republic's first settlement in India, and the capital of Dutch Coromandel. It was built by the Dutch East India Company in 1613 and became the local governmental centre in 1616. It was named for Geldria, the... (Pulicat Pulicat Pulicat is a historic seashore town in Thiruvallur District, of Tamil Nadu state, South India. It is about 60 km north of Chennai and 3 km from Elavur, on the barrier island of Sriharikota, which separates Pulicat Lake from the Bay of Bengal. Pulicat lake is a shallow salt water lagoon... ) |
Fort and factory | 1613 | 1825 | After having been granted to establish a factory in Pulicat in 1608, the local ruler allowed the Dutch to build a fort in 1613. This Fort Geldria remained the principal Dutch fort on the Coromandel Coast until 1690, when the headquarters changed to Negapatnam. In 1694, large portions of the artillery were shipped to Negapatnam, but after the latter's loss to the British in 1781, Fort Geldria was reinstated as the capital of the colony. The town was principal in the supply of cotton for the Dutch. |
| Fort Vijf Sinnen (Negapatnam) | Fort and factory | 1658 | 1781 | Captured from the Portuguese in 1658, Negapatnam first fell under Dutch Ceylon. After a devastating flood in 1780, Fort Vijf Sinnen was built from the rubble. This new fort became the capital of Dutch Coromandel, until it was captured by the British in 1781. |
| Fort Sadras Sadras Sadras is a fortress town located on India's Coromandel Coast in Kanchipuram District, 70 km south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state. Sadras is the anglicized form of the ancient town of Chadhuranga Pattinam.... |
Fort and factory | 1612 | 1825 | First established in 1612, but only in 1654 enlarged into a full factory. In 1749, the Sadras fort was completed. Together with Negapatnam, it was captured by the British in 1781, but contrary to Negapatnam, it was given back under the Treaty of Paris (1784). Sadras was renowned for its high quality cotton, and also supplied bricks for Batavia and Ceylon. |
| Fort Bheemunipatnam Bheemunipatnam Bheemunipatnam , is a town, a municipality and mandal headquarters in Visakhapatnam district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.It was the second municipality in Indian mainland, established on 9 February 1861. 150-Years of its formation has been celebrated in 2011.Bheemunipatnam is supposed to... |
Fort and factory | 1652 | 1825 | The local trading post was enlarged into a fort in 1758. Bheemunipatnam primarily traded in rice, and was fundamental for rice shipments to Ceylon. |
| Fort Jaggernaikpoeram Kakinada Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"... |
Fort and factory | 1734 | 1825 | An important textile trading post after the loss of Draksharama and Palakol (see below). |
| Parangippettai | Factory | 1608 | 1825 | The Dutch East India Company settled in 1608 in an old house in Parangippettai, also known as Porto Novo. In 1680 extended into a full factory. |
| Palakol Palakol Palakol is a Financial town in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.Palakol is oldest Municipalities in A.P. Constituted on 1-4-1920. It is an important trading town in West Godavari district for the surrounding villages Doddipatla, Achanta, Achanta Vemavaram etc, and is in proximity with other... |
Factory | 1613 | 1825 | Temporarily abandoned in 1730. Trading post for textile, lamp oil, wood, roof tiles, and bricks. |
| Masulipatnam | Factory | 1605 | 1756 | Masulipatnam was the first Dutch factory on the Coromandel Coast of India. It was eventually abandoned in 1756. |
| Nizampatnam Nizampatnam Nizampatnam, also known as Petapolly , is a seaport town in Andhra Pradesh state of southern India. Nizampatnam is located in Guntur District, of which it is a mandal, in the delta of the Krishna River, which empties into the Bay of Bengal... |
Factory | 1606 | 1668 | Second Dutch factory on the Coromandel Coast. Abandoned in 1668. |
| Tenganapatnam | Factory | 1609 | 1758 | Established in 1609. In 1647, the permission was given to build a fort here. The primary purpose of the settlement was to spy on the British, who had settled in the same town. Abandoned in favour of Parangippettai (Porto Novo) in 1758. |
| Golkonda Golkonda Golkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King... |
Factory | 1634 | 1733 | Important staple market for the Dutch East India Company. After having only a local tradesman to their service, the Dutch expanded their presence in Golkonda to a full factory in 1664. Due to local unrest, trade began to diminish in the late 17th century. The factory was eventually abandoned in 1733. |
| Draksharama Draksharama Draksharama is one of the Pancharama Kshetras in South India. It is located approximately 28 km southwest of the city of Kakinada, in the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh.... |
Factory | 1633 | 1730 | Abandoned in 1730 in favour of Jaggernaikpoeram. |
| Thiruppapuliyur | Factory | 1608 | 1625 | Founded in 1608 on the ruins of an old Portuguese fort. Destroyed in 1625 by a local chief. |
| Nagulavancha | Factory | 1669 | 1687 | Established inland to have better control over the quality of the locally produced products. Destroyed on 13 October 1687 by locals. |
| Pondicherry | Fort and factory | 1693 | 1699 | During the Nine Years' War, the Dutch East India Company laid siege to the French fort of Pondicherry in 1693, whose commander François Martin François Martin François Martin was the first Governor General of Pondicherry. He founded Pondicherry, the future capital of French India in 1674. He was Commissioner of French East India Company before holding this post and was preceded by François Baron and succeeded by Pierre Dulivier. There is a street named... surrendered on 6 September of the same year. Pondicherry was restored to French rule in 1699, owing to the provisions of the Treaty of Ryswick Treaty of Ryswick The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May... . |