The trade of the servants of the East India Companies, known as private trade, forms the core of this thesis. It is argued that the studies on the Dutch maritime empire in Asia have hitherto...Show moreThe trade of the servants of the East India Companies, known as private trade, forms the core of this thesis. It is argued that the studies on the Dutch maritime empire in Asia have hitherto neglected the theme of private trade. In order to understand the decline of the VOC vis-à-vis the English EIC, it is crucial to have a better understanding of the Dutch private trade.Show less