This thesis examines the effects of the so-called Nayaka kings on Kandyan kingship in the first decade of the Nayaka period of the Kandyan kingdom (1729-1750). The thesis concludes that the decade...Show moreThis thesis examines the effects of the so-called Nayaka kings on Kandyan kingship in the first decade of the Nayaka period of the Kandyan kingdom (1729-1750). The thesis concludes that the decade before the Nayaka kings rose to power shows remarkable continuity with the first decade after the Nayaka kings ascended the Kandyan throne, and it is therefore difficult to state that the Nayaka ascension can be seen as a clear break with the former dynasty. The ceremonies at the court do not show any sign of an increased divinization, both Sri Vijaya Rajasinha (1739-1747) and Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747-1782) even had a bigger emphasis on becoming/being an ideal Buddhist ruler, a Cakravarti.Show less
Following the 'opening' of China after the Opium Wars, the European political and economic presence in the Middle Kingdom surged. An important part of this presence concerned the significant...Show moreFollowing the 'opening' of China after the Opium Wars, the European political and economic presence in the Middle Kingdom surged. An important part of this presence concerned the significant increase in Western religious mission orders within China. In this thesis, these often-overlooked missionaries are put central by examining their interactions with the local Chinese social and political environment. By following the actions and ideas of the Belgium Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, shortly known as the order of Scheut, this research asks new and insightful questions concerning the policies employed by the missionaries and their eventual outcome. By tracing the order’s development in the vicariates of Outer-Mongolia and Gansu, in terms of their approach towards the mission and the subsequently ensuing conflict, it shows how seemingly minor changes in attitude can create two widely different scenario’s and contradicts the perception of missionaries as mere agents of Western expansion. Missionaries, as agents of dialogue, managed to adapt their actions based on the environment they encountered and through their adaption, influenced the manner in which their local environment perceived them in the context of China’s turbulent nineteenth century.Show less
This thesis defines slavery in eighteenth-century Cochin. By relying on courtcases and acts of transport, this thesis shows how slavery in eighteenth-century Cochin is connected with caste, VOC-law...Show moreThis thesis defines slavery in eighteenth-century Cochin. By relying on courtcases and acts of transport, this thesis shows how slavery in eighteenth-century Cochin is connected with caste, VOC-law and categorization, and local power structures.Show less
In deze scriptie wordt onderzocht wat P.A.S. van Limburg Brouwer (1829-1873) ertoe dreef het Oude India te bestuderen. Daartoe wordt Van Limburg Brouwer op vier vlakken geanalyseerd: als filosoof,...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt onderzocht wat P.A.S. van Limburg Brouwer (1829-1873) ertoe dreef het Oude India te bestuderen. Daartoe wordt Van Limburg Brouwer op vier vlakken geanalyseerd: als filosoof, als Indoloog, als politicus en als literair schrijver. Deze scriptie laat zien dat Van Limburg Brouwer er een Duits-idealistisch spinozistisch wereldbeeld op nahield, dat uiteindelijk in zijn roman "Akbar" ten volle tentoongesteld werd.Show less
Pieter Albert Bik (1798-1855), a Dutch colonial official, left behind an unpublished manuscript detailing his travels during his career both in Asia, especially in Japan and the Dutch East Indies,...Show morePieter Albert Bik (1798-1855), a Dutch colonial official, left behind an unpublished manuscript detailing his travels during his career both in Asia, especially in Japan and the Dutch East Indies, and in Europe, notably along the Rhine. A close examination of the manuscript suggests that Bik's interpretation of his travel experiences in Europe and overseas were remarkably similar, and that both were influenced by the burgeoning phenomenon of European tourism that was taking root along the Rhine at the time. A close reading of this source, and a brief comparative analysis, show that tourism indeed influenced the discourse of colonial travel much earlier than has so far been acknowledged. An examination of this influence calls to question several conventional presumptions of colonial history, and draws attention to a thus far seldom recognised character: the early colonial leisurely tourist. This analysis, however, requires - apart from primary research - a synthesis of the academic literatures on colonial travel on the one hand, and European tourist culture on the other.Show less
What is war to whom? The troops roaming on Java in the late seventeenth century were of all shapes and colours. Some came from Sulawesi, some from Madura; some were religious others acquisitive....Show moreWhat is war to whom? The troops roaming on Java in the late seventeenth century were of all shapes and colours. Some came from Sulawesi, some from Madura; some were religious others acquisitive. Usually they operated in small units known as war-bands led by a warlord. Despite the differences between these war-bands, many of them did gather and fight under a single banner. Often they hurdled behind overlords -sunans or sultans- who were in need for additional brawn; a competitive market of martial supply and demand resulted. The king with the most men usually won. Even the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was part of this market and relied on indigenous patrol. In 1677, the Company decided to support the Central Javanese realm called Mataram and thus landed in a diplomatic struggle for troops. This thesis wonders how VOC men reported on these warriors and what clues are given of a Javanese military labour market at odds with the European one. The Dutch commanders would soon find out drawing in allies was as important as winning battles; the extent to which they could enter the networks of warlords and rulers thereby determined much of their victory. This thesis tells how far they did in the two chaotic and bloody years of 1677 and 1678.Show less
