Dutch East Indies Company (VOC)

[Haven]

(For ease of reference, and because the VOC is somewhat its own entity, VOC actions will generally be placed here from now on.)

1730
Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or the "VOC")
(controls Dutch East Indies, Ceylon, presence in Malay Peninsula, Southern and Western India, West Africa, Madagascar/Mauritius, China and Japan)
Financial center (Rotterdam, represents shareholders)
15 commercial fleets
Town: Mauritius (City in 1731)
Trading Posts East Indies/Southeast Asia: Surabaya, Makassar, Ambon, Banten, Tidore, Ternate, Timor, Brunei, Pekanbaru, Johor Baru, Bangkok
Trading Posts India: Cochin, Damman and Diu, Bombay, Surat, Vasai, Pondicherry, Nagapatam
Trading Posts Africa: Diego Suarez, Dahomey, Gold Coast
Port: Batavia, Tricomlee, Malaca, Goa, Banda Aceh, Sulu
Resources: Ceylon 1, Gold Coast 1, Dahomey 1
Trade Income 5 (2 East Indies, 3 India)


VOC also has exclusive trade rights in Japan (included in trade income).


Allied States (To one extent or another):
Sultanate of Johor
Sultanate of Deli
Quilon
Siak
Perak
Siam


Client States:
Sultanate of Tidore
Sultanate of Ternate
Banten Sultanate
Aceh Sultanate (de facto VOC province)


VOC Military Spring 1730

VOC (50% Sepoy) (28,100 men, 28,100 Sepoy)
11 BB2s (Batavia) (Zon, Groningen, Ter Goes, Graaf Willem, Kameel, Postiljon van Smyrna, Vrede, Jaarsveld, Vrijheid, Mercurius, Louisa Hendrika) (4,000 men, 4,000 Sepoy)
3 BB2s (Ceylon) (Utrecht, Vogelstruis, Witte Lam) (1,200 men, 1,200 Sepoy)
35 Frigates (5 Ceylon, 18 Batavia, 3 Mauritius, 3 Goa, 3 Banda Aceh, 3 Kaapstaad) (8,750 men, 8,750 Sepoys)
18 Patrons (2 Batavia, 2 Ceylon, 2 Kaapstad, 2 Malaca, 3 Goa, 2 Pondicherry, 2 Banda Aceh, 2 Diego Suarez, 1 Ambon) (1,800 men, 1,800 Sepoys)
8 Fortresses (Kapstaad, Makassar, Ceylon, Batavia, Trincomalee, Cochin, Malaca, Bombay,Banda Aceh) (4,000 men, 4,000 Sepoy)
13 Light Infantry Regiments (1 Batavia, 1 Bombay, 2 Goa, 1 Timor, 1 Malaca, 1 Ambon, 1 Pondicherry, 1 Banda Aceh, 1 Gold Coast, 1 Dahomey, Perak, Bangkok) (6,500 men, 6,500 Sepoy)
2 Infantry Brigades (Batavia, Ceylon) (2,500 men, 2,500 Sepoy)

[Haven]

1717, Changes in the VOC

Following the war with France and the recent extended Portuguese war, the VOC finds itself largely in control of the East Indies and with a strong position in India.The much expanded presence in India, pressure from home, and the VOC’s wish to monopolize trade in the East Indies forces some reorganizations in how the VOC’s empire is structured in 1717 and 1718.

Batavia had long been the center of the VOC’s holdings, but with the expanded India holdings and the fall of the Portuguese presence, India and the East Indies are split. Batavia will continue to be the entrepot for the East Indies, China and Japan, while Ceylon will become the entrepot for the Indias. Any trade looking to access the VOC network will have to do so through one of those two points. European access continues to be strictly controlled as the VOC pushes the carry-trade onto Dutch ships as much as possible. Some nations, like the Portuguese and traders from the Kedah Sultanate, are completely banned from trading with the VOC network. As always, smuggling is treated severely, the lucky ones being executed, the unlucky ones toiling away in Java as slaves. The French, who continue to stubbornly expand their presence in the east, are watched warily but care is made to not provoke unnecessary confrontation.

Continuing the effort to expand the trade network in the East Indies, initial conversations are begun with the Sultanates of Perah and Siak (actual post will be made) to discuss the opening of trading centers, and the bringing in the two Sultantes into the VOC network.

With the disruption of the slave trade network in Africa, the VOC begins shipping Chinese (Chinese have long been used in Java and elsewhere) to Mauritius to work on the plantations, and to the Cape colony, although survival rates for the journey are brutally low. (Don't imagine this has a game effect, besides changes the demographic makeup of those areas long-term).

Internally, discussions continue of expanding native recruitment. Native troops, and mercenaries from nearby nations (Malay, Chinese, even Japanese), have long been used however population pressure in the Netherlands is starting to become a problem.


Control of the Cape Colony, officially Kaapkolonie, itself is transferred to the government of the United Provinces at the end of 1717. The decision was made after some pressure from home given the heavy investments made into the VOC, and internally in the VOC itself. The colony had long since transformed from its initial purpose of a waystation to a settler colony, in spite of VOC management’s wishes. Although the colony is being transferred, VOC employees will still retain the right to retire in Kaapkolonie with a land grant commensurate with their rank and position. The land included within the colony itself is expanded to include the whole coast up to the Angra do Negro bay (OTL southern Angola, so includes the former trading post at Walvis Bay)

[Haven]

Summer 1717, New Governor-General
In early summer Governor-General of the East Indies Christoffel van Swoll is pushed out after only 3 years in office. Ostensibly to the outside world, the controversy surrounding the Luanda raid is presented as a principal reason for the change. Internally, VOC  management's only true disappointment with the raid was its failure, and the reality of Christoffel's sacking is politics within the Raad van de Indië. Christoffel was viewed as a mostly ineffectual Governor-General, mostly failing in his attempts to cut back on smuggling and bungling attempts at increasing trade with China, besides being generally seen seen as failing to grow the company during a period seen as having been advantageous. In his place the council chose to elevate one of its own, Hendrick Zwaardecroon, a noted rival of Christoffel. Among other things, Hendrick was chosen as someone who could perhaps follow in the mold of Jon Coen, something the dominant faction of the council believes will be needed moving forward although a notable contradiction from the trajectory of domestic politics in the United Provinces.

Separately, furthering the elevation of the India branch of the VOC, a position of Lieutenant-Governor van Indië is established to sit in Ceylon. The Lieutenant-Governor from Ceylon will control all of the VOC's operations and holdings in Ceylon and India as superior to the various commandeur and commissaris running the individual possessions and operations, although still subordinate to the Governor-General in Batavia.

[Haven]

In an effort to clamp down on smuggling and tighten control on trade, planning begins for the possible introduction of a centralized pass system for non-Christian ships (re: non-European) transiting around India and the East Indies, based on the now defunct Portuguese cartaz system.

As part of these same efforts, envoys are sent to the Aceh Sultanate requesting the Sultanate ceases direct trade with other non-Malay or East Indies nations, and to cooperate with the VOC in anti-smuggling efforts.

[Ottoman]

Ottoman Trade Envoys based in Karachi send word to their Dutch counterparts seekings clarification, who is exactly is affected by this policy.

[Haven]

The trade envoys are informed that at the moment Ottoman interests have nothing to worry about as nothing official has been established.

[Haven]

Plans are made to go ahead with establishing a trading post in Bangkok, while anger at the Burmese swelters in Batavia. More quietly, in light of the French request for colonial discussions, orders are sent for VOC ships to begin exploring and mapping the the islands east of the East Indies and to further explore and map the landmass to the south up-to-now referred to as New Holland.


VOC 1726 Build

Income
FC: 1
Ports: 4.5 (Banda Aceh is half point)
Colonial Holdings: 5.75
Resources: 3
Trade Income: 5
Commercial Fleets: 5
Total: 24.25


Maintenance:
14 BB2s - 3.5
35 Frigates - 7
18 Patrons - 1.8
8 Fortresses - 2
2 Infantry Brigade - .5
12 Light Infantry Regiments - 1.2

Total: 16

Expenditures:


-1 Commercial Fleet (2.22 points)(3/3)(2/2 years)
-Trade Post Bangkok/Payment (6 points)


Total: 8.25

Total Spent: 22.75

[Haven]

1728

The eruption of fighting in the Philippines, and the entrance of the Sulu into the war against a European power, causes some consternation among the VOC's shareholders. No action is taken, or planned, but increased patrols are ordered around Borneo to ensure the Sulu, or other locals, don't feel emboldened enough to attack Dutch shipping.

Separately, the VOC dedicates several frigates and sloops to map and explore the waters east of the VOC-held Indies and to map and explore the large land mass known as New Holland (5 frigates and 2 patrons are assigned to explore and map the region). Future plans are drawn up for similar missions to the north of Japan in the coming year.

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