-
During the early 1500's (1530 is an estimate) the land we know today as the Netherlands was part of the Holy Roman Empire and included a group of provinces and prosperous trading cities on the North Sea. Later the protestant provinces won independence, and the Netherlands entered vigorously into competition for overseas influence.
-
In 1510, the Portuguese seized the island of Goa off the coast of India, making it their major military and commercial base. Albequerque burned coastal towns and crashed Arab fleets at sea.
-
In less than 50 years, the Portuguese had built a trading empire with military and merchant outposts, or distant areas under their control, rimming the southern seas. They used cities they had seized on the east coast of Africa to resupply and repair their ships. For most of the 1500's, Portugal controlled the spice trade between Europe and Asia.
-
The Portuguese took the East Indies port of Malacca in 1511, massacring the city's Muslims.
-
In 1521, Magellan claimed the archipelago for Spain. Within 50 years, Spain had conquered and colonized the islands, renaming them for the Spanish king Philip II. Unlike most of Southeast Asia however, because the Filipinos were not united, they were easier to conquer.
-
For 200 years, the Mughal Empire was peaceful, prosperous, and strong. Mughal India was the center of the valuable spice trade. It was also the world leader in textile manufacturing, exporting large quantities of silk and cotton cloth. The Mughal Empire was larger, richer, and more powerful than any kingdom in Europe, and the Emperors granted trading rights. In 1526, King Affonso I wrote a letter to King John III of Portugal expressing concerns he had about giving his people too much freedom.
-
A Dutch fleet returned to Amsterdam from Asia after over a years absence in 1599. With it came cargo of pepper, cloves, and other spices. This success led to a massive increase in overseas trade and activity. With their strategic settlement at Cape Town, the Netherlands had a secure foothold in the region.
-
In 1602 a group of wealthy Dutch merchants created the Dutch East India Company. This company had sovereign powers. With its power to build armies, wage war, negotiate peace treaties, and govern overseas territory, it came to dominate the region.
-
In 1641, the Dutch captured Malacca from the Portuguese and opened trade with China. Soon they were able to enforce a monopoly in the Spice Islands, controlling shipments to Europe as well as much of the trade with Southeast Asia.
-
In the 1700's, the growing power of England and France combined contributed to the decline of the Dutch trading empire in the East. Still, the Dutch managed to maintain an empire in Indonesia until the 1900's.
-
By the mid 1700's (Years given are estimates), the British and the French had become locked in a struggle for global power. The fighting involved both nations' lands in Asia and the Americas. In India, the British East India Company used an army of British troops and sepoys to drive out the French.
-
By the late 1700's, Britain had used its great wealth to dominate most of India.
-
The Dutch managed to maintain an empire in Indonesia until this point.
