 |
| Danish Fort, Tharangampadi,TN en.wikipedia.org |
.jfif) |
| Dutch in Kerala, Colonial India.dutchinkerala.com |
The Dutch presence in India began with the arrival of Cornelis de Houtman, the first Dutchman to reach India via the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC), established in 1602, soon initiated trade activities in the Indian subcontinent. Following their conquest of Malacca in 1641 (not 1652), the Dutch expanded their trade network in India, gradually displacing the Portuguese in several coastal regions. Their first major Indian base was established at Pulicat near Madras in 1609–10, which became the VOC’s main Indian
headquarters.
 |
| Chinsurah colonial town, W. Bengal, India bestplaces.blog |
.jfif) |
| Dutch cemetery, Chinsurah kevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com |
Above image: The Dutch Cemetery, Chinsurah, West Bengal. Located n the banks of the Hooghly River the cemetery is a poignant reminder of the Dutch presence in Bengal during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was a period of an influx of foreign explorers engaged in trade, expansion and cultural exchanges between Europe and India........
.jfif) |
| St Mary's Church Machilipatnam deccanherald.com/ |
Above image: St. Mary' s church, Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Located at one corner of a huge cemetery, it was built by Ms. Arabella Robinson in memory of her British friend Major General John Peter. When the area came under the British, he handed over ‘Arabella’s Church’ to the East India Company. In 1816, he died in Madras. On January 10, 1842, the church was consecrated and renamed St Mary’s Church, starting a regular service. The other Dutch monuments in Masulipatnam (also known as Machilipatnam) include remnants of the Bandar Fort (also known as the Dutch Fort) and a Dutch cemetery. The Dutch East India Company established a factory in Masulipatnam in 1605, making it a significant trading post. ............
In 1616, the Dutch established a factory at Surat in Gujarat. Over the next few decades, they set up additional trading posts at Masulipatnam, Vizagapatnam, Cochin, Cambay, Kasim Bazaar in Bengal, and Chinsurah. These trade centers dealt in valuable commodities such as indigo, raw silk, cotton textiles, opium, and saltpeter. The Dutch were predominantly interested in commercial gains and refrained from deeper political entanglements in Indian affairs.
.jfif) |
| Dutch Cemetery, Pulicat, TN thehindu.com/ |
Above image: Pulicat town in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu was
then The Dutch East India Company's principal trading post, he Tiruvallur district administration planned to take up mapping of landmarks - Dutch sites, according to the newspaper The Hindu March 07, 2012.The monuments need restoration to preserve the past Dutch colonial era...........
 |
| Dutch Bugalows,Tharangampadi, TN .tripadvisor.in |
 | ||
| The Danish fort Tharangambadi, TN.blog.railyatri.in |
Tharangambadi, also known as Tranquebar, was the first Danish trading post in India, established in 1620. It served as a significant settlement for the Danish East India Company for over two centuries. The town's Danish legacy is still visible through landmarks like Fort Dansborg.
In Kerala, the Dutch focused primarily on the spice trade. The Dutch were more interested in mercantile trade than in expansion of land. They never intervened in Indian politics and consequently lost their significance after the arrival of the British. They captured Cochin in 1661 and expelled the Portuguese by 1663, thus freeing local Jewish and Syrian Christian communities from Portuguese oppression. The Dutch also supported the Syrian Christians in maintaining their episcopal succession. Unlike the Portuguese, the Dutch did not aim to dominate the Malabar Coast or interfere in local political dynamics. They avoided confronting Arab traders and did not try to subjugate the Zamorin of Calicut, unlike their Portuguese and British counterparts. The Dutch had a monopoly in the spice trade in India in the 17th century.
They also took control of Quilon (Kollam) and Cranganore (Kodungallur), strengthening their influence along the Malabar Coast. The architectural remnants of Dutch forts, churches, and cemeteries in these areas reflect their enduring legacy.
.jfif) |
| Dutch Church, Monroe Island, KE en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: The Dutch Church in Munroe Island, Kollam is one of the old churches in Kerala.[1] The church was built by the Dutch in 1878.
 |
| Mattancherry Palace Kochi Pinterest.com |
Above image: Originally built by the Portuguese and it was gifted to the ruler of Kochi Veera Kerala Varma (1537-65) in 1555 AD.
The palace came under the Dutch control in 1663 and soon they carried out some major renovation work. Hence, it was refereed to as the Dutch Palace. Later, the local ruler, made some additions to match his requirements blending local Kerala tradition and Dutch design. The Bolghatty Palace, one of the oldest Dutch palaces outside Holland, is another notable example................
Beyond Kerala, the Dutch had trading posts and settlements in various parts of India, including Surat in Gujarat, Chinsurah in Bengal (near present-day Kolkata), and Masulipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Chnsurah, established in 1656, became an important Dutch trading post and a center for the Indo-Dutch silk and muslin trade. However, the growing power of the British East India Company gradually diminished Dutch influence in India.
Denmark held colonial possessions in India for 225 years, including the town of Tranquebar, Tamil Nadu , Serampore, i West Bengal, and the Nicobar Islands, India's union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Their first major settlement was established at Pulicat (north of modern Chennai) in 1609, which served as their main headquarters in India until it was later shifted to Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu.The Danish were neither a military power nor a mercantile giant and never posed serious threat to other colonial powers in India.
The Dutch were defeated by the British in several strategic locations, and the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 formalized the end of their colonial ambitions in India. Under this treaty, the Dutch ceded all their Indian possessions to the British in exchange for recognition of their control over the East Indies (Indonesia). Thus, Dutch influence in India, especially in Kerala and Bengal, faded by the early 19th century, leaving behind a rich though often overlooked legacy.
In 1659, the English defeated the Dutch settlement at Chinsura. Slowly, the English captured all the Dutch possessions in South India.
