nashuaworldcup Chapter 319 Batavia
Chapter 319 Batavia
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In the latter half of the 16th century, driven by the enormous profits of the spice trade, the Dutch extended their reach to Java, thus beginning their more than 300-year rule over Indonesia. This colonial rule was implemented by the Dutch East India Company.
The Dutch East India Company was a commercial company established by the Netherlands in 1602. It possessed state functions, engaged in colonial plunder and monopolized trade in the East. The original Dutch name was --, abbreviated as C, and its full name in Chinese is the Dutch East India Company. It was the world's first multinational corporation, the first to issue stocks, and the world's first super-large corporation. It could organize its own mercenaries, issue its own currency, and was authorized to enter into formal treaties with other countries, exercising colonial and ruling power over their territories. The government held shares in the company, receiving 18% of the profits annually. It had rights such as funding war salaries, signing treaties with foreign countries, minting currency, and establishing colonies. For nearly 200 years, it wielded significant influence in world trade.
After the fleet entered the waters off Java, Putmans took the initiative to meet with Gao Jie, requesting that he be allowed to enter Batavia first as a liaison to convey Liu Ye's opinion.
Gao Jie initially disagreed, "Are you sure you're not just using this as an excuse to escape back to Batavia? Do you think I'm stupid?"
Putmans said sincerely, "I am now just a former high-ranking official who has not received a formal notice of dismissal. I am not even of value as a hostage. If the company council agrees to your demands, it is certainly not because of me. Why not release me and try? Maybe I can persuade the council members and the governor himself to avoid an unnecessary war and conflict. As a member of the company, I do not want your fleet to be involved in a conflict without any certainty of success."
Gao Jie thought about it and agreed. It would be best to let Putmans return to Batavia first and achieve the goal of the trip with his help. Even if he was just looking for an excuse to get away, it wouldn't be a loss for him. It would just be a repeat of the Manila scenario. Although Batavia's defenses were obviously stronger than Manila's, it would only add a little difficulty for the Qiongzhou fleet.
Putmans then landed by small boat, revealed his identity, and was easily received by the governor.
The ambitious Peterssonkun was the third governor of the Dutch East India Company, and it was he who laid a solid foundation for the Dutch commercial colonial empire in the East. Batavia, established under his leadership after attacking and driving out the Banten army, became the headquarters of the vast Dutch East India Company empire and the political foundation for Dutch rule over Java and the entire East Indies colony.
Kun had signed the letter of appointment for the governor of Putmans, so he naturally recognized his subordinate. In the dimly lit governor's mansion, Kun looked at Putmans sternly and questioned, "The letter from the Grand Canal trading post says you disappeared during the war with Zheng Yiguan, some say you were captured, but months later you suddenly appeared in Batavia. What happened that left the Grand Canal trading post without leadership for so long? You must give me an explanation, otherwise I will have difficulty explaining to the council."
Putmans replied bitterly, "Governor, my explanation is no longer important. I'm afraid the closure of the Grand Merchant Guild is imminent. Even if you dismiss me, there's no need to send another governor."
Kun frowned: "What's going on now?"
The East India Company's occupation of Daido was intended to serve as a hub for its trade with Ming China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, and to monopolize trade between Manila and Ming China. Major exports included sugar, deer hides, venison, deer antlers, rattan, and rice; transshipment included Dutch metals and medicinal herbs, Batavia spices, pepper, amber, linen, cotton, opium, tin, and lead, and China silk, pottery, and gold. The East India Company had approximately 35 outposts in Asia. Its Japanese outposts accounted for the largest share of profits at 38.8%, followed by Daido with 25.6%. After the Japanese shogunate issued its isolationist edict, Daido's position became exceptionally important, and Kun Shi was unwilling to hear any bad news about Daido.
However, things didn't go as planned, and Putmans' next words were far worse than Quinn had imagined.
"Governor, you must already know that we have lost the war against Zheng Yiguan. But just half a month ago, the once invincible Zheng Yiguan was annihilated by another naval power. Now, the de facto ruler of the Far East has changed hands again in a short period of time. I suppose this news has not yet reached Batavia..."
"Wait, if I heard correctly, you said annihilation?" Kun noticed Putmans's choice of words.
"That's right, not just defeated, but completely annihilated. Zheng Yiguan's massive fleet was completely destroyed in a single day. He himself even fled to the Ming Dynasty's local army's fortified city, but he couldn't escape the pursuit. Thousands of soldiers dragged him out of the castle and then cut off his head..." Although Putmans did not personally experience the Battle of Zhongzuosuo, he learned the details from Gao Jie and Van Bommel, and his description was basically consistent with the facts.
Kun fell silent. The outcome of such a battle was clearly appalling. Just three or four months earlier, the East India Company's fleet had been defeated by Zheng Yiguan, a former pirate captain with a massive fleet of armed merchant ships and countless arsonist ships, seemingly invincible. The company's council had even prepared themselves to submit to this pirate captain, agreeing to accept Batavia's recognition of his dominance in the Far East if he opened up some of the Ming Dynasty's commercial markets. Yet, only a few months later, another force had effortlessly wiped Zheng Yiguan off the map of the Far East?
After a long silence, Kun finally managed to speak: "Then you have to tell me, who exactly does this force belong to? Are they friendly towards the company? Why do you say that the Da Yuan Trading Company is going to close down?"
“Like Zheng Yiguan, this man is also a general of the Ming Dynasty. His name is Liu Ye. What he has in common with Zheng Yiguan is his passion for maritime supremacy, rather than staying obediently in his own defense zone and relying on the meager military pay allocated by the Ming government,” Van Bommel explained. “Personally, I don’t think his attitude towards the company is any more friendly than Zheng Yiguan’s, but it doesn’t seem too bad either. However, he has made a very unfriendly demand: the company must close the Da Yuan trading post, abandon Fort Zeelandia, and all future commercial trade must be conducted in the areas he designates, and taxes must be paid!”