Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
In this thesis I have attempted to determine to what degree the colonial discourse(the publicly expressed world view and moral codes of the ruling colonial elites)in the Netherlands-Indies...Show moreIn this thesis I have attempted to determine to what degree the colonial discourse(the publicly expressed world view and moral codes of the ruling colonial elites)in the Netherlands-Indies conflicted with the phenomenon of colonial hybridity. I have distilled the colonial discourse from the writings of multiple researchers and confronted this with everyday reality. I have gained my data about everyday in the Netherlands-Indies from the biographical interviews contained in the SMGI collection at the KITLV institute and from a pair of Indies writers. What I have found during my research was that everyday reality was far more hybrid and that people would associate and mix with other ethnic groups far more than the colonial discourse as spread by the colonial elites would suggest. The thesis itself is in Dutch.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
2013-10-03T00:00:00Z, 2013-10-03T00:00:00Z
The thesis presents an introduction and edition of the Chronicon Moissiacense, a Carolingian world chronicle as contained in BN lat. 4886. The various manuscripts related to this text are explored...Show moreThe thesis presents an introduction and edition of the Chronicon Moissiacense, a Carolingian world chronicle as contained in BN lat. 4886. The various manuscripts related to this text are explored and placed in a stemma, followed by a review of previous editions and a short exploration of Merovingian and Carolingian historiography, with particular focus on world and universal chronicles. The Chronicon Moissiacense is mainly interesting because of its highly composite nature; it expands on an older, 8th century text that records history up to the year 741 and is a composition of ancient as well as early medieval authors. Bede's 66th chapter of De Temporum Ratione forms the spine of the chronicle, but this text is heavily interpolated with fragments from Flavius Josephus, Eusebius, Jerome, Orosius, Fredegar, the Liber Historiae Francorum, and other sources. The Chronicon Moissiacense presents a continuation of this text up to the year 818, drawing on other sources such as the Annales Laureshamenses, multiple minor annals, and a 'southern source' believed to be lost today. The text attempts to connect Roman with Merovingian and Carolingian history in various ways, such as through the inclusion of a shared Trojan heritage, but also through a reworking of the chronology.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
2012-08-31T00:00:00Z
This thesis explores two theoretical approaches of the dynamic interaction between religion and politics. In a case study, examining the sanctuary of Hera Akraia near the modern village of...Show moreThis thesis explores two theoretical approaches of the dynamic interaction between religion and politics. In a case study, examining the sanctuary of Hera Akraia near the modern village of Perachora, these theories are put to the test.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis is about the Parsis, a special Indian minority group who came to India more than a millenium ago. The Parsis became very wealthy and influential under British colonial rule and acquired...Show moreThis thesis is about the Parsis, a special Indian minority group who came to India more than a millenium ago. The Parsis became very wealthy and influential under British colonial rule and acquired great esteem as a colonial elite. After decolonisation of the British Indies, this picture completely turned upside town and a lot of Parsis left India for a western country such as the UK and the US. Thus, they had to reconstruct their identity both in India and the US and the UK. This thesis examines this double identity reconstruction by means of a combination of literary analysis and discourse analysis.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis compares two historical debates, the debate around the New Historians on the war of 1948 since the 1980s and the debate around the Cold War Revisionists in the US during the 1960s and...Show moreThis thesis compares two historical debates, the debate around the New Historians on the war of 1948 since the 1980s and the debate around the Cold War Revisionists in the US during the 1960s and 1970s. It links these debates to Raymond Martin’s thesis on progress in history that states that during historical debates historical interpretations will eventually become more comprehensive, better balanced and more justified, and that historiographical debates tend to converge after a brief period of interpretational divergence. The thesis argues that there is a difference between the historiographical trajectories in these two countries based on the respective socio-political circumstances. In both cases revisionist historians, claiming to pursue a more advanced historical narrative, challenged the prevailing mythical patriotic narrative. The revisionists –who themselves started out firmly on the political left- were in both instances aided by the changing socio-political realities of their day, such as loss of legitimacy of political establishments because of unpopular wars (Vietnam and Lebanon), changes in the international political context and generational shifts. While in the US the trajectory of the debate on Cold War historiography seems to confirm Raymond Martin’s thesis, the trajectory in the Israeli debate has not seen any convergence on the 1948 War. The thesis argues that this lack of convergence in the is linked to the socio-political circumstances in Israel.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis paper examines and looks at the events, which allowed an African trader to defeat a powerful Dutch trading company. The reason why this case is so historically relevant is because of...Show moreThis thesis paper examines and looks at the events, which allowed an African trader to defeat a powerful Dutch trading company. The reason why this case is so historically relevant is because of the dire consequences it had on the WIC’s Gold Coast economic output. The time period studied predates the war upwards of three years, and post dates the resolution to end all conflicts in excess of nine years. I used two major research strategies: (1) a thorough analysis of the Dutch West India Companies archives from 1759-1773 and (2) a quantitative and qualitative analysis of previously published data. Data has been collected from archives, published first hand accounts written by company officials and journeymen, and keyword searches on the Internet. This dissertation augments and reanalysis information provided by the field pacesetter’s professor P. Valsecchi and the late R. Baesjou. The focus is largely on uncovering the factors behind a failed WIC invasion, while keeping the actual historically relevant story intact. By doing the historical qualitative analysis in this manor it not only provides the reader with a better overall experience, but also aids further understanding in African warfare procedures. The reason why this is of such importance is because the WIC-Appolonian war of 1761-1764, had an ever-lasting impact on not only Dutch and British coastal procedure from henceforth but also on the very foundation of the modern day Nzema state.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
Beginning under the Flavian dynasty, large quantities of river personifications start to appear in Roman art and coinage, a trend which lasts until the third century A.D. These images are often...Show moreBeginning under the Flavian dynasty, large quantities of river personifications start to appear in Roman art and coinage, a trend which lasts until the third century A.D. These images are often regarded as little more than fashionable decorative items. This thesis argues however that, far from being merely decorative pieces, river personifications give us a unique insight in Roman ideas on geography, imperial power and civilization.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
closed access
This study focuses on the political history of Maguindanao, a polity along the western coast of Mindanao (present-day southern Philippines) from ca. 1680 till 1760. Primarily using the archives of...Show moreThis study focuses on the political history of Maguindanao, a polity along the western coast of Mindanao (present-day southern Philippines) from ca. 1680 till 1760. Primarily using the archives of the VOC (Dutch East India Company), it examines three interrelated historiographical issues: (1) the nature of political rule in Maguindanao, (2) the upland-lowland geopolitical divide and the (3) question of Maguindanao political decline. This thesis argues that these issues are better understood if seen from the perspective of complex intra-familial politics. By using the family as a lens, this thesis highlights the important role of women in the conduct of politics. It also dilutes the seemingly rigid division between the upland and lowland Maguindanao by viewing political factions not in terms of fixed political centers, but rather as a consequence of changing family alliances and rivalries.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
German migrants have a reputation of creating a blooming associational life in their places of settlement. Therefore, a better understanding of German migrant life might be acquired if we better...Show moreGerman migrants have a reputation of creating a blooming associational life in their places of settlement. Therefore, a better understanding of German migrant life might be acquired if we better understand the associational life of these migrants. This thesis tries to provide a functionalist account of German associational life abroad based on case studies of the sailors homes and German schools in the German colonies of Antwerp and Rotterdam in the early twentieth century. Though it is often assumed that nationalist considerations and pressures from sending states are decisive in shaping the functionality of migrant organizations, I argue that the economic, moral and class related interests of the local environment provide a more elucidating picture of the functioning of the researched migrant organizations.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
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
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
This study compares the role played by Dutch and American engineers in the colonial governments of the Netherlands Indies and the American-controlled Philippines in the 1900-1920 timeframe. It...Show moreThis study compares the role played by Dutch and American engineers in the colonial governments of the Netherlands Indies and the American-controlled Philippines in the 1900-1920 timeframe. It contends that these colonial engineers extensively influenced the practical implementation of the civilizing missions of that were formulated in the United States and the Netherlands around 1900. Through the use of a sustained comparison between the activities of the engineers in these two Western countries and their tropical colonies the unique aspects of the American policy of “benevolent assimilation” and the Dutch “ethical policy” will be drawn into focus. This study makes use of the technocracy heuristic to analyze the behavior and ambitions of the engineers. Technocracy in this case refers to rule by experts, a goal that many members of the engineering profession that had emerged in both countries in the 1890s strove for. Such a political system could not be implemented in the Dutch and American metropoles, but in the colonies the engineers faced fewer obstacles to their political agenda. The technocratic ambitions of the engineers are reconstructed here by analyzing the rhetoric they used and the discourses they drew upon in their journals. In the first part of this study the emergence of the engineering profession in the Netherlands Indies and the United States is compared. The rhetoric of the engineers on either side of the Atlantic evinces important similarities, as does the receptiveness of politicians and public to their ideas. The new mode of imperialism and the civilizing missions that either country articulated concurrently also bear close resemblance. A series of vignettes in the second part of this study describing the practices and ideology of the colonial engineers working in the Netherlands Indies and the Philippines reveals how the meanings of the technologies they used were socially constructed. They show that the Americans possessed a unique willingness to have the Filipinos participate in their developmental strategy, whereas the Dutch did not cross the ethnographic separation from the Indonesians. This finding to an extent confirms the “exceptionalism” of American empire in this period.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
A survey of the methodology used to find information about an author of an anonymous medieval chronicle and guidelines to perform the search for identification of the author if possible. The second...Show moreA survey of the methodology used to find information about an author of an anonymous medieval chronicle and guidelines to perform the search for identification of the author if possible. The second part is a description of the search for the author of the anonymous Latin chronicle 'Chronicon Hollandiae', which has some connection with the chronicles of Holland by Johannes a Leydis.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
A system of subprime plantation mortgages was created by the Dutch in the second half of the 18th century. A credit structure was set up that would link Dutch investors with their West Indian...Show moreA system of subprime plantation mortgages was created by the Dutch in the second half of the 18th century. A credit structure was set up that would link Dutch investors with their West Indian colonies, by providing plantation mortgages (called negotiaties) for those dreaming of becoming planters. Interest rates were high: attractive for investors, but all too cumbersome for the new plantation owners. Many planters, mostly producing coffee, could not repay their loans, leading to the demise of the system as many bankrupt planters returned home and investors lost their capital. That is the case in Suriname at least, because in the near-by colonies of Essequibo and Demerara the plantation economy had only just took-off and continued to expand. This thesis tries to explain that divergence, next to identifying the winners and losers in the system and testing several explanatory concepts in order to gain a better conceptual understanding of the negotiatie structure. Results are that winners and losers were different than previously thought: investors could still be winners, while the fund managers could easily be losers. Additionally, the negotiatie system should be termed a classic mania, that could persist only for a limited time because of the Ponzi aspects, visible in the need for continuous refinancing. Lastly, the plantation mortgage structure could be seen as a failed transition to modernity, one that tried to bridge the commercial and financial interest of the Dutch economy, but was too much rooted in mercantilist thought. This was less the case for Essequibo and Demerara, where an open, but partly illegal, connection with the rest of the Atlantic was more important than the obligatory relationship with the metropolis. Next to legal supplies, illegal trade occurred on a large scale and proved crucial for the development of the two colonies.Show less
