overseasoroverlandthedutchandthearmeniantrading.docVIP

Overseas or overland? The Dutch and the Armenian trading networks in the 17th century; a comparative analysis Marlous Timmers m.e.timmers@students.uu.nl Comparative history October 2009 Content Introduction 3 Trading in theory 7 The comparative method 16 Traditional research 16 Best of both worlds 18 Comparing in Asia 20 The Boolean matrix for the Asian continent 22 Trading overseas; The VOC 23 Obtaining spice monopolies 24 The clove monopoly 25 The monopoly strategy 29 Dutch attempts to trade in China 32 The strategy of military and naval presence in China 36 The VOC strategy in Southeast Asia 38 Trading overland; The Armenians 41 Overland trading networks 42 The Armenian trading network 44 The family firm 47 The commenda 49 The correspondence 52 The Armenian strategies 53 Boolean analysis 57 Labelling the factors 57 The Boolean matrix 60 The Boolean analysis 61 Conclusion 62 Bibliography 64 Wealth grows out of coordinated acts. Its lack comes out of disunity. Introduction After the Portuguese explorations into the Indian Ocean at the very end of the 15th century, the Portuguese started to raise permanent settlements in the Indian Ocean region from the beginning of the 16th century. These settlements were meant to support a permanent fleet that could control the sea trade in the Indian Ocean and localized trade could be established. The plan that was developed to realize these goals had clear economic and commercial objectives, but the religious element also has to be emphasized. After initial Portuguese successes, the Dutch and the English also found their way to the Indian Ocean and established their own trading posts and trading networks. But the Europeans met severe competition, from each other but also from the local merchants because they were not willing to give up their long existing trading positions. Trade in the Indian Ocean existed long before the Europeans even discovered this region, so the Europeans were not the ones who brought ‘an a