Leiden University Student Repository

Rasel, M.M. Azizul Islam (2012)

The Seventeenth-century Dutch Travel Account and the Production of Knowledge on Asia

Master thesis | History (MA)

This thesis studies a seventeenth-century Dutch travel account titled Vervarelyke schip-breuk van‘T Oost-Indisch Jacht Ter Schelling written by Frans Jansz. van der Heiden. The book was first published in 1675 and had numerous editions between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Van der Heiden was a Dutch East India Company sailor made his journey to India in 1661. His journey was an unlucky one: within few days of his departture from Batavia, the former principle trading settlement of the Dutch east India Company, their ship Ter Schelling encountered a terrible hurricane and subsequently the author and his shipmates got shipwrecked on the coast of Bay of Bengal. After endured so many plights they managed to reach an island of Bengal. But Van der Heiden and his shipmate’s bad luck did not end there. In the course of the journey they had to join the Mughal army as conscripted soldiers and served the army for fifteen months. However, this fateful journey enabled Van der Heiden...Show moreThis thesis studies a seventeenth-century Dutch travel account titled Vervarelyke schip-breuk van‘T Oost-Indisch Jacht Ter Schelling written by Frans Jansz. van der Heiden. The book was first published in 1675 and had numerous editions between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Van der Heiden was a Dutch East India Company sailor made his journey to India in 1661. His journey was an unlucky one: within few days of his departture from Batavia, the former principle trading settlement of the Dutch east India Company, their ship Ter Schelling encountered a terrible hurricane and subsequently the author and his shipmates got shipwrecked on the coast of Bay of Bengal. After endured so many plights they managed to reach an island of Bengal. But Van der Heiden and his shipmate’s bad luck did not end there. In the course of the journey they had to join the Mughal army as conscripted soldiers and served the army for fifteen months. However, this fateful journey enabled Van der Heiden to visit some parts of eastern and north eastern India that is, Bengal, Assam and it’s neighbouring regions. During his journey he experienced the local culture, religion and society. He also made a close observation of the Mughal army and warfare. Upon his return home Van der Heiden published his book based on his travel experience. The book was written in a popular style of the period which offers sensational description of his journey and practical and real information of the areas he visited. The book has so far been largely neglected by scholars. Some scholars discard the importance of the book terming it as fictitious and unreal. They argue that the book does not provide real, interiesing and new information on Asia. The thesis demonstrates that apart from its sensational description,Vervarelyke schip-breuk van‘T Oost-Indisch Jacht Ter Schelling provides real, important and new information on Asia, particularly India, which can be used by the historians writing on these regions. The thesis shows that the book provides information on the Mughal army and Mughal warfare which very few European and even Asian sources could supply. Apart from army and warfare the book gives valuable information on the rural economy and life of ‘subaltern’ people of these regions which may offer a new perspective in studying the early modern history of India.Show less

The seventeenth-century travel account

the Production of Knowledge

Vervarelyke schip-breuk van‘T Oost-Indisch Jacht Ter Schelling

Asia

India

Bengal

Assam

Author

Rasel, M.M. Azizul Islam

Note

Contents and argumentation is concerned, the research-question is clear, nicely derives from the literature, and is answered in a well-introduced and well-structured argument… This well-written and well-argued thesis demonstrates that Vervarelyke schip-breuk goes beyond a fictitious adventure story (only of interest for the historian of colonial literature and/or orientalism) and provides authentic and original information on various (mainly military) aspects pertaining the Mughal history in Bengal and Assam. One could even make an argument that we are faced with a unique primary source that provided an extremely rare “subaltern” perspective on the daily life in the Bengal village and in the Mughal camp which really needs to be read more thoroughly both against and with the grain. Hope we can both work in this direction in the years ahead!--- Professor Dr. J.J.L (Jos) Gommans, Professor at the Institute for History, Leiden University and the Author of The Rise of Indo Afghan Empire,1710-1780; Mughal Warfare and other profound books. ...Dit is een verzorgde thesis over een interessant, aansprekend onderwerp. De auteur heeft het vrij onbekende, ‘sensationele’ reisverslag van F.Jz van der Heiden, Vervarelyke schip-breuk…, onderzocht op authenticiteit en waarheidsgehalte met het doel de waarde van het verhaal voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek te bevestigen dan wel te ontkennen.De vraagstelling is helder; de conclusie refereert aan inleiding en betoog... ----Anita van Dissel, Lecturer at the Department of History , University of Leiden.

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

History

Supervisors

Gommans, J.J.L. (Jos)

ECTS Credits

30

Language

en