In conjunction with the 2007 Holland Days in Malacca; a joint-venture exhibition between The Dutch Government; thru her Malaysia Embassy with the Melaka Government, thru The Melaka Museum Authority (PERZIM ); scheduled from 2nd Sept, 2007 to 9th Sept, 2007 at The Stadhuys; It is we/our, Maritime Archaeology Museum (MAM)’s fervent hope that the hidden message as to the origin, the originality, and the authenticity of the DUTCH VOC TIN MONEY could be decoded or the least once again attract the attentions of Archaeologist, Historians, and Academicians worldwide for the better historical understandings of mankind as a whole ; Dutch and Melaka- Malaysian authorities in particular !
The Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) was chartered in 1602, amongst her main functions were to concentrate Dutch trade efforts under one directorate with a unified policy. In 1605, armed Dutch merchantmen captured the Portuguese fort at Amboyna in the Moluccas, which was developed into the first secure base of the VOC. In the Indies, the formation of Batavia ( Today’s Jakarta )on the north-west coast of Java in 1619 formed the permanent center from which Dutch trade in Asia was centered. It was indeed significant that VOC was founded based upon trade and mercantile interests rather than part of Dutch national colonization expansion programme. From it the Dutch had created an immense trade empire at the Far East.
Subsequently the Dutch conquered those trading ports of the East Indies: Malacca in 1641; Achem (Aceh) the native kingdom in Sumatra, 1667; Macassar, 1669; finally Bantam itself, 1682.And with the help of ports in India; the Dutch had started its influence on the spice trade by trading with pepper.
Dutch policy encouraged monoculture: Amboyna for cloves, Timor for sandalwood, the Bandas for mace and nutmeg, Ceylon for cinnamon with profits to be exchanged with silver from the Americas, which were more desirable in the East than in Europe..
Takeover by the Dutch government. On 14 January 1641 the Dutch took possession from the Portuguese of the fortress of Malacca, with the help of their ally the Sultan of Johore, whom have had treaties with the Dutch as a vengeance against the Portuguese. This was because the Johor Royal household hailed from Melaka , after the Portuguese conquered Melaka in 1511.However,the Johor Sultan were confident that after the victory over the Portuguese in Melaka, the Dutch would return the Malacca throne. But this was not to be. After the capture, the Dutch set up government in Malacca as it was too important for the VOC strategies, as the city was situated on the main trade route to the Far East (Spices islands, China and Japan).
A short time later the conquest of Melaka, the Dutch made trading agreements with several states of the Malay Peninsula, so as to obtain tin (Kedah 1642, Ujung Salang 1643, Bangkeri 1645, Perak).
In the 1650s., a great imposing building, the Stadthuys, is built by the Dutch as the administrative centre and home of the Governor of Malacca.
The Dutch had a factory at Bengkalis (1670s.) at the mouth of the Siak river (Sumatra). From here they controlled the tin trade. The trade at Siak was vital for Malacca and for the Malacca Freeburghers community, a community of Dutch and Portuguese descendants intermarried with the local peoples. The duty collected on their Siak trade was an important share of Malacca’s revenue.
Perak was the main tin producing kingdom in the whole Peninsula and the VOC was interested in controlling its trade. For this reason a Dutch outpost was established from 1670 to 1690 at Teluk Gedung in Palau Pangkor. This fort was re-occupied by the Dutch in 1746 and, later in the same year, the fort was moved upstream to Tanjung Putus.
Under the Dutch, Batavia was the main Eastern base of the VOC and the company had no interest in developing Malacca’s trade to the detriment of that of Batavia. Henceforth, Melaka’s trade quickly declined after the Dutch conquest.
Moreover, The Sultanate of Johore (the Dutch ally during the siege of Portuguese Malacca) took advantage of all of this, by opening his seaport of Tanjung Pinang, Riau (an Indonesian island near Singapore) to all ships and to all commerce.
However, the Dutch did not leave Melaka as rumored as her port was situated at a very strategic point hence they did not want Melaka to fall to other competitor nations, especially the English. During the period of Dutch rule, Malacca usually had a garrison of less than 550 Dutchmen.
In 1710, St. Peter’s Church is built. It is still the oldest functioning Christian church in Malaysia. Malacca trade was flourishing, but a new sea power came on the scene: the English. From the 1750s., they traded tin with Riau and, in 1781, they occupied the Dutch outpost at Perak. Then, in 1786, an English base at Penang was established.
In 1722, the Bugis captured the port of Riau and the whole Kingdom of Johore. The Bugis developed not only the port of Riau but also that of Selangor (north of Malacca).
In 1746, the Sultan of Johore gave the Siak Kingdom, as a gift, to the VOC. That same year, agreements were made with the Peninsular Kingdom of Nanning, Rembau and Perak. In Perak the Dutch fort was re-occupied. With these agreements the prosperity of Malacca was improved.
However, the Bugis were a constant threat to the Dutch. Their leader, Daeng Kamboja, made Linggi his base and, from October 1756 till July 1757, besieged Dutch Malacca. In February 1757, help arrived from Batavia and the Bugis were forced to drop the siege.
In that year, the Dutch built a fort on the Linggi River and named it Philippe (today’s Kota Linggi) after the daughter of the Dutch Governor Jacob Mussel (Governor of Batavia 1750-1761). The purpose of the fort was to collect taxes from the tin that was transported from Linggi, Rembau and Kelang Selangor.
On the 1st of January 1758, this fort was the site where the treaty between the Bugis and the Dutch was signed. This treaty enabled the Dutch to impose their control in this area. Linggi and Rembau were ceded to the VOC.
In 1758, on Pulau Gontong at the mouth of Siak river the Dutch built a fort to control the tin trade, but later, in 1765, the fort was abandoned because of the good relations between Siak and the VOC.
In 1759, the fort of Linggi was also abandoned.
To prevent an English occupation, the Dutch attacked Riau and, on 29 October 1784, the Bugis were defeated. The resulting treaty ended Johore’s independence, and a Dutch fort was established at Tanjung Pinang (Riau). In the Malay Peninsula, Johore, Selangore, Perak, Trengganu and Pahang became Dutch territories. The VOC was truly dominant in the Straits.
During the Napoleonic wars, in August 1795, the Dutch Governor surrendered Malacca to the English East India.
Company.
In 1818, after the Napoleonic Wars, under the Treaty of Vienna, Malacca is restored by the British to the Dutch.
In 1824, the Anglo Dutch Treaty or the Treaty of London was signed between the Dutch and the British. The British give Bencoolen, in Sumatra to the Dutch and Malacca was given to the English. On 9 April 1825, the Dutch ceded Malacca.
