How the Dutch East India Company Became Insanely Rich

#dutcheastindiacompany #voc #history Recommended reading: The Corporation That Changed the World - The Dutch East India Company: The History of the World’s First Multinational Corporation - Dutch Ships in Tropical Waters: The Development of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) Shipping Network in Asia 1595-1660 - Visitors to Amsterdam will be familiar with it’s tall, narrow buildings and labyrinth of canals which run past the winding streets with typical Dutch names such as Lindenstraat, Keizersgracht and Damstraat. But away from the well-trodden tourist paths of the city centre, in the eastern district, are some streets with not-so typical Dutch sounding names like Balistraat, Sumatrastraat, and Borneostraat. These are situated within what is known locally as the Indian neighbourhood and are named in reference to what was once the Dutch controlled East Indies. Constituting much of the modern state of Indonesia, these islands came to be ruled by the Netherlands over 7000 miles away, when the Dutch East India Company established itself in the region some 400 years ago and quickly grew to become the richest company the world had ever seen. Possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, strike its own coins and establish colonies, it is often considered to be the world’s first multinational corporation and one which set the precedent for how modern business and international trade are conducted to this day. But what inspired these Dutch merchants to undertake the lengthy and perilous journey to the far side of the world? This is the history of the Dutch East India Company.