During the 1620s the VOC established a presence on the island of Taiwan, then called Formosa. Research on this colony has mostly focussed on the later decades and its dramatic loss at the hand of a...Show moreDuring the 1620s the VOC established a presence on the island of Taiwan, then called Formosa. Research on this colony has mostly focussed on the later decades and its dramatic loss at the hand of a Chinese warlord in 1662. This thesis examines those early years through the construction of Fort Zeelandia, the colony’s administrative capital. This was a slow process, in places equally as dramatic as the colony’s downfall, which shows us that the advantages that allegedly fuelled European expansion could often be ill-suited to the colonial environment.Show less
This thesis concerns the transfer of firearms technology from the Dutch East India Company to Siam at the end of the seventeenth century. It shows that the transfer of both weapons and of experts...Show moreThis thesis concerns the transfer of firearms technology from the Dutch East India Company to Siam at the end of the seventeenth century. It shows that the transfer of both weapons and of experts with skills related to firearms were organised through diplomatic exchange and gift giving. Changes in this transfer were mainly shaped by the Siamese, although they were unable to force the Dutch to fulfill all their wishes.Show less
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
