VOC stands for "Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie" (United East India Company). In the 17th and 18th centuries the VOC was the largest commercial enterprise in the world, with a fleet of more than a hundred ships, thousands of employees, dozens of offices in Asia, and six establishments in the Netherlands. These were the "VOC chambers" in Amsterdam, Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Rotterdam, Delft and Middelburg.
When Dutch merchants were excluded from the lucrative trade in Asia by the Portuguese around 1590, several Amsterdam merchants decided to break that monopoly. To that effect they organised the so-called "First Shipping" to Asia in 1595. This voyage was inspired by the "Reysbeschrift" bij Jan Huygen van Linschoten. A year later his complete "Itinerario" was published: a very interesting travel report.
Other merchants soon followed suit. In the next five years 15 fleets comprising 65 ships sailed to the Far East, resulting in extensive competition amongst the Dutch themselves. The "Staten Generaal" (the equivalent of the parliament) decided to act, and try persuade the merchants to join forces and co-operate with each other. The councillor for the government, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, undertook most of the important preparatory work. When he finally did succeed to convince the various competing East India companies to co-operate and form a union, it resulted in the establishment of the United East India Company (VOC). The successful alliance was expressed in the letter V for "Vereenigd"(United). Then on March 20, 1602 the Staten Generaal gave the VOC exclusive licence, effectively granting them a Dutch monopoly for the trade in the Far East. It marked the start of a period of intense economic and cultural growth in the Netherlands.
The VOC covered the globe... as you have stated... Brasil, but also parts of Africa & the Indian continent! And the Dutch bought what is now New York for some glass beeds...
Beautiful composition and tones, and indeed a cultural about. :-) It?s related to the history of our contry also, as Portugal and Holland also had a competition in the begining for the new land discovered, Brazil.
I like the fine composition of your capture that symbolically illustrates very well the interesting about content. I saw the numerous buildings and the cemetary of dutch traders in Cochin, India. in those times Cochin apparently was the main port of VOC on the other side of the oceans.
Fantastic point of view. Interesting historical facts. That is one of the things I love most about this site: the information often attached to photographs. I hope to contribute on that level soon, although I doubt that I will ever come up with such interesting facts. Thanks for sharing. Regards, Andree
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{K:17476} 5/1/2005