The major trading companies of the Dutch and the English, the VOC and EIC respectively, didn't gain their massive trading empires overnight but were a result of many years of diplomacy but also of...Show moreThe major trading companies of the Dutch and the English, the VOC and EIC respectively, didn't gain their massive trading empires overnight but were a result of many years of diplomacy but also of extensive piracy and privateering ventures. This thesis explores how the trading companies utilised these violent practices on the seas to enlarge their influence in Asia but also how they legitimized this towards other parties. Central for this research are the legal works of contemporary lawyers like Hugo Grotius, John Selden and William Welwod and seeing how their theoretical works compare to the practical side of things in Asia.Show less
