maritime activities economy and social customs of the muslims of ...

V. I1 . THE DUTCH
The Hollanders - the Dutch - came over to the Coromandel Coast when the trade
system was well established. They had to face a strong European rival, the Portuguese.
originator of Dutch commerce in India was Llns Cotton who visited Goa in 1583L5. In 1602
" The Verenigde Oast lndiche Compagnie " - (V.O.C.) - The Dutch East lndia Company - sent
two Dutch factors from Ache to Surat in 1605 to explore the commercial prospectss6 . The
Dutch vessels commenced trading in the Coromandel from 160557 . In the early years of
their expansion, in 1610-20, their chain of factories extended from Masulipattanam In northern
Coromandel through Pulicat in the centre of the coast to Tiruppapuliyur ( Cuddalore) in the
south. Prosperous local merchants were their intermedhries. The attempt of the VOC to set up
factories from Cuddalore to Potnt Callmere met with limited success only. Madipattanam and
Pulicat became the centre of their Coromandel enteptises58.
The Political events in the Coromandel from the 17th -19th centuries are interhvined
with the commercial and European colonial histoy. The Dutch appeared on the Coromandel
when the native rulers were in search of a strong power to counter the Portuguese. They
found it in the Dutch and invited them to their territories. A chronology of events about the
relationship of the Dutch with the local powers, native traders, other European companies
and it's impact on the maritime trade of the region is briefly discussed below.
The central part of Coromandel was ruled by the Nayaks of Ginjee ( Senji) when the
Dutch appeared there. Krishnappa Nayak of Ginjee, treated the Dutch with hospitality and
allowed them to build a citadel at Devanampattanam ( Cuddalore) in 1608. He was hostile
to the Portuguese. The Dutch trade brought large profit to the Nayak. But the Portuguese
were influenclal in the court of Venkatapathl Raya, the Vijayanagar emperor and penuaded
him to expel the Dutch from his subordinate state of Ginjee. Accordingly the Dutch were
expelled from Devanarnpattanam and Krishnappa was forced to support the Portuguese".
But the Portuguese were driven away by the Nayak in 1609. The Dutch were invited to the
Ginjee territoty and trade concessions were offered. Meanwhile, the Raya himself became
frieridly to the Dutch and permitted them to build a factory at Pulicat in 161OW. In 1617
Pulicat became the seat of Government of the Dutch under a governor. The Dutch and the
Portuguese Interfered in the civil wan of Ginjee in 162P1.
The