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...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
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...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
Several scholars recognize the significant transformation that the local elites underwent during the first half of the twentieth century (precisely during the period of Ethical Policy) in the...Show moreSeveral scholars recognize the significant transformation that the local elites underwent during the first half of the twentieth century (precisely during the period of Ethical Policy) in the Netherlands Indies. However, these scholars mainly focus on the transformation of Javanese elites and pay attention to administrative and political perspectives of this transformation. In this paper, I use Memories van Overgave along with additional reports to show that on Java and the Outer Provinces (mainly Sumatra) the local elites were not only involved in administrative and political matters but also in economics. Furthermore, under the increasing influence of the Dutch, the local elites developed into two different groups: the traditional and the new elites. As a result of the Dutch policies during this time, the traditional elite fundamentally changed in order to maintain their connection with the colonial government. In fact, they mostly shifted their attitude toward Western education from a negative to a positive one in order to fulfill requirements of the colonial administration reform, while barely changing their attitudes on economic and political issues. Interestingly enough, many of the new elites descended from traditional nobility and received Western training. However, unlike the traditional elites, they took part in business and political affairs. This new elite transformed the hierarchies within indigenous culture during the late colonial period and later went on to become the leaders of the anti-colonial movements in the archipelago.Show less
Hannibal Barcas and Scipio Africanus have been compared often by many authors, but only a few have studied both in depth and even fewer have actually compared them in a fair and equal manner. In...Show moreHannibal Barcas and Scipio Africanus have been compared often by many authors, but only a few have studied both in depth and even fewer have actually compared them in a fair and equal manner. In this Thesis I attempt to place both generals next to each other on three grounds: education, strategy and tactics. Very little is explicitly known about the first subject, but it's fair to say that both generals are very well trained when they recieve their position at the head of their army. Though Hannibal's study is aimed at being a general and nothing else, Scipio's is more aimed at becoming a political figure in ancient Rome, where public offices accompanied military ones. Strategically speaking there is a lot of confusion due to Rome and Carthage having different strategies than their generals. Despite this, Hannibal's and Scipio's plans are dominated by the lack of supplies, shaping and altering their ideas on winning the war. It has to be said that Hannibal has to contend with Rome from the start, making his road to victory a lot harsher and it begs questioning if it's fair to blame Hannibal for the power the structure of Rome's alliance. Finally tactically, the similiarities are obvious. Scipio has often been called a copycat, but unjustly so. Hannibal's envelopment tactic relies on him being on the defensive, whereas Scipio has to be on the offensive. This fundamental difference in style is easily overlooked. Based on these three aspects, it has to be said that a comparison between these two great generals has to be done with utmost care. Education is largely unknown field, due to the ancients themselves not exploring it. Strategic ideas are clouded by the aims of the cities themselves and underlying political territories they fight on. Most interesting of all is the tactical difference between them which begs for further exploration.Show less
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, which consists of more than 17,000 islands. As an archipelago country, Indonesia has a maritime potential. Ironically, Indonesia does not have the...Show moreIndonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, which consists of more than 17,000 islands. As an archipelago country, Indonesia has a maritime potential. Ironically, Indonesia does not have the capacity to explore more its potential. This thesis describes that there are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve maritime power in the period before Indonesia, both economic and political. In this thesis, port development is chosen to represent the effort of the Dutch colonial government to enhance maritime power. The main question of this thesis is how did the Dutch colonial government of the Netherlands Indies exercise the maritime power in competition with the British in 1824-1914? To answer the research question, I worked with primary sources and secondary sources, such as Politieke Verslagen en Berichten uit de Buitengewesten, Haringhuizen-Schoemaker collection, 1872-1970, and some books that related to maritime development in Southeast Asia. I present political and economic development that contributed to the maritime power development. I also present six major ports development as representation of maritime power in the Netherlands Indies. The result shows that the Dutch colonial government the Dutch was able to fulfill the requirements to achieve maritime power by conquering the Outer Islands and their economic potential. The result also show that even though KPM (Koninkelijke Paketvaart Maatschappij)created a strong network of shipping lines they failed to maximize the effort to compete the British Singapore maritime power until the Great War.Show less
Because of his military experience Powell knew which strategies would work and not work. He knew which strategies would benefit the success of a military mission. The outcome of the Vietnam War...Show moreBecause of his military experience Powell knew which strategies would work and not work. He knew which strategies would benefit the success of a military mission. The outcome of the Vietnam War left a big hole in the confidence of the invincibility of the U.S. Colin Powell kept himself busy with the question how it was possible that the U.S lost the Vietnam War. What were the reasons for military defeat, for loss of confidence by the American people and what strategies could have worked to make the war end in a success, or, whether or not the war should have happened in the first place? Powell thought about this throughout his military career, from the end of the Vietnam War until the beginning of the 1990’s. Powell came up with different questions which should be thought over and answered before the U.S could go into another international mission or war. These questions together are better known as the Powell Doctrine. From the end of the Vietnam War until the first part of the 1990s there was the establishment and the rising of the Powell Doctrine as military and political Doctrine. From the second part of the 1990s onwards the Powell Doctrine has come into conflict with a new way of intervening: humanitarian intervention and the fight against terrorism. The position of the Powell Doctrine has come under scrutiny. The Afghanistan and Iraq Wars had America question whether or not there was still a future for the Powell Doctrine. The ups and downs of the Powell Doctrine will be the red threat throughout this thesis. But more interesting has been the fact how Powell himself followed his own doctrine throughout his political career.Show less
Two major processes occurred in the east Asian region. One; the decline of the strong position of the traditional Chinese trading network and two; the start of major migrant streams originating...Show moreTwo major processes occurred in the east Asian region. One; the decline of the strong position of the traditional Chinese trading network and two; the start of major migrant streams originating from the Chinese mainland. Both of these processes made use of a similar infrastructure that was laid out over the seas. But was there a connection between the these two phenomena other than time? I use the Dutch port Batavia as case study to examine this problem.Show less
Unlike the general pattern in post-war Indonesian that the revolution dynamic swept the traditional rulers away—killing some and humiliating all, there was a great intention in West Borneo to re...Show moreUnlike the general pattern in post-war Indonesian that the revolution dynamic swept the traditional rulers away—killing some and humiliating all, there was a great intention in West Borneo to re-embrace to the traditional aristocracy, who were welcoming the return of the Dutch. On the other hand, revolutionary sentiment supporting the Unitarian-Indonesia rang weaker. Actually, during the short Japanese interregnum, the traditional sovereignty in West Borneo was devastated: all of the ruling sultans were killed, together with some prominent royal members. Interestingly, the traditional authority was soon restored, just after the capitulation. The questions for this research revolve around: Why did the revolutionary republican fail to emerge which meant that fragile commitment to the new nation Indonesia was shown? On the other hand, why was its political development strongly marked by the prevailing of “re-clientelism”? In doing so, this research traces back the political development focus on two rapid changes: post-kongsi war in the late eighteenth century and post-Japanese interregnum. It argues that although, post-kongsi war, Batavia intended to exercise more direct control over its margin, the colonial government eventually only institutionalized the ethic bossism which enhanced strong ethnic political identity. As a consequence, the society still lived within their-own ethnic columns with brokered authority but very limited aces to the state practice by which later provided only weak support to the newly independence state of Indonesia.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
2012-12-31T00:00:00Z, 2012-12-31T00:00:00Z
This thesis examines the content and form of the ambivalence displayed by indigenous inhabitants of North Formosa in their relations with the VOC servants in the seventeenth century (1642-1662,...Show moreThis thesis examines the content and form of the ambivalence displayed by indigenous inhabitants of North Formosa in their relations with the VOC servants in the seventeenth century (1642-1662, 1664-1668). It offers an ethnographic reconstruction of North Formosa, two narratives of the encounter with foregrounded indigenous characters, and an analysis of the name of Basay for a reconsideration of the nature of the Basay community. With its three experiments of historical writing, this thesis not only provides a reconstruction of North Formosa and its inhabitants but also reflects upon the potential of using non-indigenous sources to write indigenous history. The conclusion confirms that ambivalence is inevitable for the Basay who acted as the middlemen between local inhabitants and the Dutch in the North Formosan trading network, whereas other North Formosans like the River Peoples and the Kavalan felt freer to act according to their wills. Also, although non-indigenous sources show the potentials for reconstructing indigenous history, there are also challenges such as turning fragmented ethnographic details into a coherent ethnography and building the roundness of indigenous characters by foregrounding them in the chain of historical events. This thesis recommends ways to overcome these challenges and indicates ‘to be written’ as the burden of indigenous writers for a mixture of purposes.Show less
Growing demand or declining availability of water makes distribution decisions based on water scarcity an increasingly acute problem across the globe. In my research, I focused on the question...Show moreGrowing demand or declining availability of water makes distribution decisions based on water scarcity an increasingly acute problem across the globe. In my research, I focused on the question whether water scarcity can lead to conflict. To investigate how water and conflict are connected I used two theories which are the most relevant when dealing with the connection between water and conflict, Water Wars theory and Resource Curse theory. I studied the Darfur conflict case and the Chinese environmental conflict case to find out if water scarcity can lead to conflict.Show less
This dissertation focuses on the ideas and beliefs of Hendrik Brugmans, an interesting and influential man during the start of the European integration process right after the Second World War.
This thesis investigates the relationship between the Russian tsarist state and the four most important Russian Christian sects, the Khlysty, Skoptsy, Dukhobors, and Molokans, in the period 1801...Show moreThis thesis investigates the relationship between the Russian tsarist state and the four most important Russian Christian sects, the Khlysty, Skoptsy, Dukhobors, and Molokans, in the period 1801-1881. First the developments of the Russian Orthodox Church and the tsarist state following the Russian Orthodox Church schism (raskol), which gave rise to Russian religious dissent, are discussed, before moving on to an in-depth assessment of the history and beliefs of the four sects mentioned above. In the second part of the thesis the attitudes of the three tsars that ruled Russia between 1801 and 1881, Alexander I, Nicholas I, and Alexander II, are clarified, before the views of the sectarians on the policies of the three rulers are considered. It is then argued that these rulers, and Nicholas I specifically, vilified the sectarians as class of (imaginary) enemies as part of their state formation policies. In practice this meant the (forced) expulsion of many of the sectarians to the fringes of the Russian empire. The sectarians themselves, in turn, developed tools to cope with these conditions, and in some cases in their new role as frontier colonists became the epitome of Russianness in the multi-ethnic regions of the empire. This thesis therefore not only pays attention to the changing political situation of tsarist Russia in the nineteenth century and the state views on sectarianism, but also to the ways in which marginalized groups outside the Russian Orthodox Church reconciled their religious and ethnic identities with the demands of the state.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
In de eerste eeuwen na Christus was het Romeinse Rijk een multicultureel, meertalig rijk dat vele verschillende gebieden en volkeren omvatte. Latijn, als taal van veroveraars en als taal van de...Show moreIn de eerste eeuwen na Christus was het Romeinse Rijk een multicultureel, meertalig rijk dat vele verschillende gebieden en volkeren omvatte. Latijn, als taal van veroveraars en als taal van de keizerlijke administratie, had een unieke positie in het rijk. Deze positie als belangrijkste taal van het rijk deelde Latijn slechts in sommige delen van het rijk met het Grieks. De Romeinen veroverden niet alleen verschillende koninkrijken en volkeren maar ook verschillende taalgebieden en vele provinciale talen bleven in gebruik in de eerste eeuwen na Christus binnen de grenzen van het Romeinse Rijk. In mijn thesis beantwoord ik de vraag hoe deze provinciale talen in gebruik bleven naast het Latijn en Grieks en welke interactie er plaatsvond tussen deze talen in de eerste drie eeuwen na Christus en hoe dit ons beeld van het de acculturatie in het Romeinse Rijk beïnvloedt. Om deze vraag te beantwoorden, heb ik een inventarisatie gemaakt van de inscripties van de verschillende provinciale talen die werden geschreven in de eerste drie eeuwen na Christus. De acht talen die zijn geattesteerd in de eerste drie eeuwen na Christus zijn: Neo-Phrygisch en Pisidisch in Klein-Azië, Aramees en Hebreeuws in de oostelijke provincies, Libisch en Neo-Punisch in Noord-Afrika, Lusitanisch in het Iberisch schiereiland en Gallisch in Frankrijk. Deze inventarisatie geeft een overzicht in de hoeveelheid inscripties geschreven in een provinciale taal en de domeinen waarin deze inscripties werden gebruikt. Mijn onderzoek omvat het hele Romeinse Rijk, van de Britse eilanden tot Syrië en van Noord-Afrika tot Klein-Azië en creëert zo de mogelijkheid om verschillende gebieden met elkaar te vergelijken. Aan de ene kant maak ik zeer intensief gebruik van epigrafisch materiaal omdat ik inscripties in vele verschillende talen en uit verschillende gebieden behandel, maar aan de andere kant is mijn gebruik van de inscripties gelimiteerd omdat ik de inscripties niet in detail lees of behandel. Epigrafisch materiaal levert een vruchtbare benadering voor de studie van sociale verandering en acculturatie. Taal is een belangrijk deel van de identiteit van personen en volkeren. Omdat taal een essentieel deel uitmaakt van cultuur, is het een belangrijk aspect binnen acculturatiestudies. Taalgebruik, zowel publiek en privé, kan een uiting zijn van culturele identiteit, maar het is een ook middel tot intercultureel contact of integratie en stijgen op de sociale ladder. Dit onderzoek plaatst taalgebruik stevig binnen het overkoepelende acculturatiedebat over het Romeinse rijk.Show less
In this thesis I compare nine sources from Jewish and Greek backgrounds between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. The overarching subject is eschatology, divided into chapters about afterlife, judgement and...Show moreIn this thesis I compare nine sources from Jewish and Greek backgrounds between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. The overarching subject is eschatology, divided into chapters about afterlife, judgement and revelations.Show less
