In dit werk wordt er met een kritische blik gekeken naar Jonathan Israels opvatting dat de zeventiende eeuwse Nederlands-Engelse Zeeoorlogen geen grote impact hebben gehad op de Nederlandse...Show moreIn dit werk wordt er met een kritische blik gekeken naar Jonathan Israels opvatting dat de zeventiende eeuwse Nederlands-Engelse Zeeoorlogen geen grote impact hebben gehad op de Nederlandse straatvaart. Een onderzoek naar alle drie de conflicten zou echter al snel uitlopen tot een te groot werk voor de context waarin dit onderzoek is gedaan; i.e. een bachelor scriptie. Om het werk behapbaar te houden is ervoor gekozen om op één deel te focussen; de Tweede Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog. De voornaamste reden om te focussen op de Tweede Engels-Nederlandse is vooral omdat dit de zwaarst bevochten oorlog zou zijn. Op deze manier kan toch getest worden of zijn stelling over de rol van de zeeoorlogen klopt. Ten tweede wordt met dit werk de historiografie over specifiek de Tweede Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog aangevuld. Veel is al bekend, maar de oorlog in de Middellandse Zee is nog altijd onderbelicht. Tot nu toe zijn de twee onderzoeksgebieden, de Engelse Oorlogen en de straatvaart, nog niet samen onderzocht, terwijl dit juist interessante inzichten kan geven over de Engels-Nederlandse concurrentie in het gebied.Show less
This thesis is primarily a study of George Baldwin (1743/4-1824), a British merchant and diplomat, and his efforts in developing an overland route through Egypt in the last decades of the...Show moreThis thesis is primarily a study of George Baldwin (1743/4-1824), a British merchant and diplomat, and his efforts in developing an overland route through Egypt in the last decades of the eighteenth century. The significance of the Egyptian overland route in this period has often been overlooked when compared to the later overland mail established by Thomas Waghorn in the 1830s and the Suez Canal. This thesis will provide a reassessment of the overland route’s commercial and geopolitical significance to the British Empire during the period of George Baldwin’s two residencies in Egypt; first as a merchant (1775-1779) and then as the first British Consul-General to Egypt (1786-1798). The growing realisation of the route’s strategic significance by British policymakers, like Henry Dundas, predates the Napoleonic Expedition and will be examined in relation to Baldwin’s consular appointment in 1786. The commercial value of the route will be assessed by looking at the private trade of Baldwin and his associates during both residencies and is something that casts doubt on the traditional view that the Middle East experienced commercial decline in this period. Most significantly, this thesis will focus on the strategic importance of the route to the British position in India. The significance of Egypt increased as the East India Company transitioned into a territorial power in 1770s and 1780s. This meant that Baldwin’s role was a strategic necessity; something shown by a series of case studies on the sieges of Pondicherry in 1778 and 1793 as well as the transfer of Ceylon to the British in 1796.Show less
This thesis seeks to examine how the reliance of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) on the mutasaddi (governor) of the imperial harbour town of Surat differed between the governorship of Diânat...Show moreThis thesis seeks to examine how the reliance of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) on the mutasaddi (governor) of the imperial harbour town of Surat differed between the governorship of Diânat Khan (1699-1701) and the governorship of Haider Quli Khan (1716-1719). As the years surrounding the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 saw local mutasaddi strengthen their position, the VOC reconsidered its approach to problem-solving. The comparison between these two governorships makes it clear that the VOC displayed a clear preference for a local solution negotiated with the governor. During the governorship of Diânat Khan, reaching out to the emperor was still considered as an option. However, it was seen as a more expensive and less effective alternative that required support from local government officials to work. Two decades later during the governorship of Haider Quli Khan, the VOC made it clear that they had lost faith in the emperor’s authority within Surat. They relied more heavily on the governor than before for matters of security, trade and conflict-resolution. Examining these periods shows that the VOC dealt with a much wider range of officials than often assumed, preferred the efficiency of a deal with the governor over a deal with the emperor, and worked with local government to approach the emperor when local authority was not enough to solve an issue.Show less
This research shows how notions of insularity and the role of islands within the maritime systems of Northern Europe were thought of and consolidated during the Early Modern period. Northern Europe...Show moreThis research shows how notions of insularity and the role of islands within the maritime systems of Northern Europe were thought of and consolidated during the Early Modern period. Northern Europe experienced transitions on economic and cultural levels. The Swedish scholar and ecclesiast in exile, Olaus Magnus, brought forth a representation concerning the Northern lands encompassing tradition, politics, heritage and Scandinavian culture into his work. Firstly by his map the 'Carta Marina' published in 1539 and later on with his chronicle the 'History of the Nordic Peoples' published in 1555. By linking Olaus' representation of islands with the historiograhpical insular discourse concerning islands resembling either isolation or connectivity, the way these islands were implemented into the maritime networks of Europe shows what purpose they fulfilled as well as how this adhered to their conceptualization. Islands before thought of as isolated can be viewed as tied into European maritime systems through Olaus Magnus' map and chronicle.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to depict how individual merchants organized both Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean trade in Willemstad from circa 1730 until 1790. Rather than emphasizing the role of the...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to depict how individual merchants organized both Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean trade in Willemstad from circa 1730 until 1790. Rather than emphasizing the role of the Jewish-Caribbean diaspora, this study argues that Willemstad was a space of cross-cultural encounters. The social policies of this free port attracted many settlers to its community, including English, Spaniards and Frenchmen. These middleman were vital in sustaining trading relations between Curaçao and its most important trading partners. Curaçao’s economic history also challenges our understanding of the dynamics between metropolitan control and independency of the periphery. It's Trans-Atlantic merchants increasingly traded with Atlantic destinations beyond the Dutch empire and local merchants cooperated closely with state-officials of other empires.Show less
This thesis looks at the effects of two Protestant Missionaries in 17th Century New England and their effects on the indigenous population and how the indigenous population reacted to them.
