This thesis examines the impact of the transfer of Bencoolen (Bengkulu) from British colonial authority to the Dutch East Indies in March 1825, under the terms of the 1824 Treaty of London (Anglo...Show moreThis thesis examines the impact of the transfer of Bencoolen (Bengkulu) from British colonial authority to the Dutch East Indies in March 1825, under the terms of the 1824 Treaty of London (Anglo-Dutch Treaty), on the people who were resident there at the time. Taking a subaltern studies approach, and using the life histories of four individuals/groups of people, it demonstrates that the transfer of power did not involve a discrete rupture between British and Dutch periods, but involved a long-drawn process whose impact lasted well into the 19th century. Likewise, it shows that the impact of the transfer was not spatially circumscribed to Bencoolen or the Dutch East Indies, but led to a reshaping of networks of commerce and migration (including penal transportation) within the broader Indian Ocean. By challenging these divisions of time and space and situating Bencoolen within the broader Indian Ocean world, the thesis demonstrates the potential of examining other 19th century transfers of power within a wider context: Cape Town, Malacca and Mauritius, among others.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
In Vergil’s Aeneid, Aeneas finds himself in a situation in which he is being led by his fatum while being leader of the Trojans. It is up to him to on the one hand motivate the other Trojans to...Show moreIn Vergil’s Aeneid, Aeneas finds himself in a situation in which he is being led by his fatum while being leader of the Trojans. It is up to him to on the one hand motivate the other Trojans to follow his lead and to on the other hand motivate himself to follow the demands his fatum makes of him. Aeneas finds himself in three situations regarding his fatum: situations in which (1) he is openly forced by his fatum to behave a certain way and he has no choice but to submit, (2) gods and ghosts advise him on which path to follow, but he has some room to decide for himself how to react, and (3) he is free to choose his actions with little to no interference from his fatum. In the first kind of situation, Aeneas proves his worth as a leader by trying to take the time to set some form of hierarchy, to put the situation into his own perspective, and to thank the gods before taking action as required by his fatum. The second kind of situation allows Aeneas to really think about the consequences of all possibilities of action and to deliberate with others before acting. The final kind of situation truly shows Aeneas’ pius personality as a leader of the Trojans. Without force from his fatum, he want the others to know he is one of them and the honor of his father and his homeland weights heaviest when facing his own moral dilemmas.Show less
