ideology and religion in the formation of the dutch overseas empire intensive course ‘nations,...
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IDEOLOGY AND RELIGION IN IDEOLOGY AND RELIGION IN THE FORMATION OF THE THE FORMATION OF THE
DUTCH OVERSEAS EMPIREDUTCH OVERSEAS EMPIREIntensive Course ‘Nations, Empires, Churches’ Intensive Course ‘Nations, Empires, Churches’
19 March 201019 March 2010Dr A.L. (Ad) TervoortDr A.L. (Ad) Tervoort
VU VU UniversityUniversity Amsterdam AmsterdamFaculty of ArtsFaculty of Arts
Department of HistoryDepartment of Historyal.tervoort@al.tervoort@let.vu.nllet.vu.nl
– ‘‘In a few short years a tiny country gained control of In a few short years a tiny country gained control of territory from Indonesia to the West Indies, From South territory from Indonesia to the West Indies, From South Africa to South America.’ [It was largely inspired by]... Africa to South America.’ [It was largely inspired by]... the Calvinist merchants of Amsterdam who forged a the Calvinist merchants of Amsterdam who forged a nation based on gain and godliness.’ nation based on gain and godliness.’
C.H. Boxer,C.H. Boxer,The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800
Themes discussedThemes discussed
‘‘Dutch-Nation’?: the Dutch-Nation’?: the formation of the formation of the Dutch RepublicDutch Republic
Empire?Empire? What role did What role did
ideology and ideology and religion play in the religion play in the formation of this formation of this ‘Dutch Empire’?‘Dutch Empire’?
A Nation: what does Dutch A Nation: what does Dutch Mean?Mean?
Political constellation Political constellation the result of conflict: the result of conflict: the the ‘Dutch Revolt’‘Dutch Revolt’ (1568-1648)(1568-1648)
Late Middle Ages:Late Middle Ages:– The Netherlands (17) The Netherlands (17)
principalities, governed principalities, governed by various secular and by various secular and ecclesiastical princesecclesiastical princes
– Formally part of the Formally part of the Holy Roman Empire (e.g. Holy Roman Empire (e.g. Holland) or France (e.g. Holland) or France (e.g. Flanders)Flanders)
Dukes of BurgundyDukes of Burgundy
Philip the Good (1419-Philip the Good (1419-1467)1467)
Rogier van der Weyden, ViennaRogier van der Weyden, Vienna
Charles the Bold (1467-Charles the Bold (1467-14771477; dies during ; dies during the siege of Nancy)the siege of Nancy)
Rogier van der Weyden, BerlinRogier van der Weyden, Berlin
Unification of the Unification of the ‘Netherlands’‘Netherlands’
Institutions above the level of Institutions above the level of principalities:principalities:
Court council ->Court council ->1. Parliament/ Great Council of 1. Parliament/ Great Council of Mechelen/Malines (legal)Mechelen/Malines (legal)2. Council of State (political)2. Council of State (political)
Chambers of account (financial)Chambers of account (financial)
States-General (1464) States-General (1464) (representative)(representative)
Parliament of Mechelen/Malines Parliament of Mechelen/Malines
Inheritance of Charles V Inheritance of Charles V (1500-58)(1500-58)
HabsburgHabsburg- Austria- Austria- claim on the - claim on the
imperial crownimperial crown BurgundyBurgundy
- Netherlands- Netherlands- Franche Comté- Franche Comté
Aragon/CastileAragon/Castile- Spain- Spain- Milan + - Milan +
Southern ItalySouthern Italy- colonial empire- colonial empire
The 17 ‘Netherlands’The 17 ‘Netherlands’
1548 Burgundian 1548 Burgundian Circle: 17 provinces Circle: 17 provinces a separate entity a separate entity within the Holy within the Holy Roman EmpireRoman Empire
1549 Pragmatic 1549 Pragmatic Sanction: uniform Sanction: uniform succession within succession within 17 provinces17 provinces
Philip II (1527-98) succeeds Philip II (1527-98) succeeds in 1555in 1555
King of Spain, Lord King of Spain, Lord of the Netherlandsof the Netherlands– Essentially a Essentially a
Spanish monarchSpanish monarch– Attempts at Attempts at
modernization modernization and centralizationand centralization
Bones of contention in Philip’s Bones of contention in Philip’s Policy in the NetherlandsPolicy in the Netherlands
Centralization (opposed Centralization (opposed by the high nobility of the by the high nobility of the Netherlands)Netherlands)
Strict repression of Strict repression of heresy and heresy and implementation of implementation of Catholic Reform (not Catholic Reform (not popular)popular)
Severe taxation policy Severe taxation policy (even less popular); (even less popular); especially after 1567especially after 1567
The Duke of AlbaThe Duke of Alba
Open Rebellion: the Dutch Open Rebellion: the Dutch RevoltRevolt
1568 open war1568 open war 1572 Holland sides 1572 Holland sides
with with William (the William (the Silent) of OrangeSilent) of Orange→→
1576 Peace of Ghent1576 Peace of Ghent 1579 Union of Utrecht1579 Union of Utrecht 1579 Union of Arras1579 Union of Arras 1581 Act of abjuration1581 Act of abjuration
A New State: the Republic of A New State: the Republic of the Seven United Provincesthe Seven United Provinces
1581-1588: 1581-1588: rebellious provinces rebellious provinces search for a new search for a new ‘sovereign’ (under ‘sovereign’ (under certain conditions)certain conditions)– Duke of AnjouDuke of Anjou– Archduke MatthewArchduke Matthew– Earl of LeicesterEarl of Leicester
All failedAll failed 1588: a Republic1588: a Republic
Structure of the RepublicStructure of the Republic
StatesStates of 7 provinces of 7 provinces are sovereign!are sovereign!– Holland, Zeeland, Holland, Zeeland,
Utrecht, Friesland, Utrecht, Friesland, Guelders, Overijssel Guelders, Overijssel and Groningenand Groningen
Formally equal Formally equal partners within the partners within the States-GeneralStates-General, , where a common where a common ‘foreign policy’ was ‘foreign policy’ was negotiatednegotiated
StatesStates Representative Representative
organisations (States) are organisations (States) are sovereignsovereign
Different composition in Different composition in each provinceeach province
Two important ‘civil Two important ‘civil servants’servants’– Stadtholder (military) Stadtholder (military)
(above: prince Maurice)(above: prince Maurice) – Grand pensionary (chairs Grand pensionary (chairs
the meetings of the the meetings of the states) states) (below: Oldenbarnevelt)(below: Oldenbarnevelt)
Result:Result: The richest province The richest province
(Holland) dominant(Holland) dominant Decision making Decision making
extremely slowextremely slow No sense of No sense of
‘national’ identity: ‘national’ identity: primarily local and primarily local and provincial affinityprovincial affinity
‘‘Particularism’Particularism’
Flag of AmsterdamFlag of Amsterdam
Attempts at ‘Nation’ Attempts at ‘Nation’ BuildingBuilding
Humanist discourse:Humanist discourse:– Preoccupation with Preoccupation with
‘classical’ ancestors ‘classical’ ancestors (mentioned by (mentioned by Caesar/Tacitus)Caesar/Tacitus)
– Creation of new Creation of new ‘national’ mythology‘national’ mythology
‘‘Batavian myth’Batavian myth’
Rembrandt van Rijn, Rembrandt van Rijn, Batavian OathBatavian Oath
Batavian MythBatavian Myth Identification of Identification of BataviBatavi
with Holland by humanist with Holland by humanist scholars, especially:scholars, especially:
Hugo Grotius,Hugo Grotius, Liber de Liber de Antiquitate Republicae Antiquitate Republicae BatavicorumBatavicorum (1610) (1610)– IndependenceIndependence– Institutions of Institutions of
governmentgovernment– ForitudeForitude– Industriousness Industriousness
All these ‘Batavian’ All these ‘Batavian’ virtues foreshadow virtues foreshadow ‘Dutch’/Holland ‘Dutch’/Holland virtues!virtues!
Formation of an ‘Empire’?Formation of an ‘Empire’?
A small confederation A small confederation ((Batavi Batavi = Republic) = Republic) stands up to the largest stands up to the largest empire in the world empire in the world (Romans = Spain)(Romans = Spain)
How did that happen?How did that happen? International relations:International relations:
– FranceFrance– England (1588)England (1588)– Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire
(1572)(1572)– Italian PeninsulaItalian Peninsula
The Formation of an Overseas The Formation of an Overseas ‘Empire’‘Empire’
War with Spain War with Spain hampered trade in hampered trade in exotic products, exotic products, especially after 1580especially after 1580
1590s the first attempts 1590s the first attempts to reach Asiato reach Asia
Foundation of various Foundation of various companies (companies (Compagnien Compagnien van verrevan verre))
1602 foundation of the 1602 foundation of the VOC (Dutch East India VOC (Dutch East India Company)!Company)!– Oldenbarnevelt again a Oldenbarnevelt again a
key player; States-Generalkey player; States-General
Vereenigde Oostindische Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie = Compagnie =
Dutch East India CompanyDutch East India Company The world’s first The world’s first
multinationalmultinational Exceptional powers Exceptional powers
granted by the granted by the States-GeneralStates-General– Monopoly on tradeMonopoly on trade– Power of attorney to Power of attorney to
conclude treatiesconclude treaties– Power of attorney to Power of attorney to
wage warwage war
State within a state?State within a state?
Gain and Godliness: Gain and Godliness: IdeologyIdeology
Motives:Motives:– Restoration of tradeRestoration of trade– Widen the scope of Widen the scope of
armed conflict with armed conflict with SpainSpain
– Collect wealth from Collect wealth from trade for the struggletrade for the struggle
Initiator: Johan van Initiator: Johan van OldenbarneveltOldenbarnevelt
Means of ‘colonization’Means of ‘colonization’
Not yet true Not yet true colonization, but colonization, but setting up trading setting up trading posts in Asiaposts in Asia
Contacts with local Contacts with local rulers, but no serious rulers, but no serious attempts to conquerattempts to conquer
Interloping: Interloping: capturing of ships capturing of ships and booty from and booty from particularly particularly Portugese shipsPortugese ships
JustificationJustification
Hugo GrotiusHugo Grotius– De Jure PraedaeDe Jure Praedae
(1604-6)(1604-6)– Mare LiberumMare Liberum (1609) (1609)
Hailed as basis for Hailed as basis for international lawinternational law
In fact: very In fact: very practical practical justification of justification of Dutch interloping Dutch interloping and the capturing of and the capturing of Portugese vesselsPortugese vessels
Gain and Godliness in the Gain and Godliness in the East: the Role of ReligionEast: the Role of Religion
In the Republic:In the Republic: Calvinism leading Calvinism leading
denomination (in denomination (in degrees)degrees)– ‘‘Public Church’Public Church’– NOT NOT State ChurchState Church
Freedom of Freedom of conscienceconscience
Other denominations Other denominations tolerated, but no tolerated, but no public worship for public worship for mostmost
Calvinism in the IndiesCalvinism in the Indies
Little missionary zealLittle missionary zeal– Still developing at Still developing at
homehome
Lack of meansLack of means– No investmentNo investment– Very few ministersVery few ministers– Serious competition Serious competition
from Catholic Churchfrom Catholic Church
Problem: VOC was in Problem: VOC was in charge of everythingcharge of everything
Religion bottom of the Religion bottom of the list; profit over faithlist; profit over faith
EpilogueEpilogue
Overseas ‘empire’ Overseas ‘empire’ emerged only in the emerged only in the – late - 19– late - 19thth century century
Rigid economic Rigid economic exploitation exploitation (‘Cultuurstelsel’) by (‘Cultuurstelsel’) by the the Kingdom of the Kingdom of the NetherlandsNetherlands
Staunch nationalismStaunch nationalism ‘‘Scramble for Africa’Scramble for Africa’ ‘‘True’ colonisation True’ colonisation
of the Dutch East of the Dutch East IndiesIndies
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