IDEOLOGY AND RELIGION IN IDEOLOGY AND RELIGION IN THE FORMATION OF THE THE FORMATION OF THE

DUTCH OVERSEAS EMPIREDUTCH OVERSEAS EMPIREIntensive Course ‘Nations, Empires, Churches’ Intensive Course ‘Nations, Empires, Churches’

19 March 201019 March 2010Dr A.L. (Ad) TervoortDr A.L. (Ad) Tervoort

VU VU UniversityUniversity Amsterdam AmsterdamFaculty of ArtsFaculty of Arts

Department of HistoryDepartment of Historyal.tervoort@al.tervoort@let.vu.nllet.vu.nl

– ‘‘In a few short years a tiny country gained control of In a few short years a tiny country gained control of territory from Indonesia to the West Indies, From South territory from Indonesia to the West Indies, From South Africa to South America.’ [It was largely inspired by]... Africa to South America.’ [It was largely inspired by]... the Calvinist merchants of Amsterdam who forged a the Calvinist merchants of Amsterdam who forged a nation based on gain and godliness.’ nation based on gain and godliness.’

C.H. Boxer,C.H. Boxer,The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800

Themes discussedThemes discussed

‘‘Dutch-Nation’?: the Dutch-Nation’?: the formation of the formation of the Dutch RepublicDutch Republic

Empire?Empire? What role did What role did

ideology and ideology and religion play in the religion play in the formation of this formation of this ‘Dutch Empire’?‘Dutch Empire’?

A Nation: what does Dutch A Nation: what does Dutch Mean?Mean?

Political constellation Political constellation the result of conflict: the result of conflict: the the ‘Dutch Revolt’‘Dutch Revolt’ (1568-1648)(1568-1648)

Late Middle Ages:Late Middle Ages:– The Netherlands (17) The Netherlands (17)

principalities, governed principalities, governed by various secular and by various secular and ecclesiastical princesecclesiastical princes

– Formally part of the Formally part of the Holy Roman Empire (e.g. Holy Roman Empire (e.g. Holland) or France (e.g. Holland) or France (e.g. Flanders)Flanders)

Dukes of BurgundyDukes of Burgundy

Philip the Good (1419-Philip the Good (1419-1467)1467)

Rogier van der Weyden, ViennaRogier van der Weyden, Vienna

Charles the Bold (1467-Charles the Bold (1467-14771477; dies during ; dies during the siege of Nancy)the siege of Nancy)

Rogier van der Weyden, BerlinRogier van der Weyden, Berlin

Unification of the Unification of the ‘Netherlands’‘Netherlands’

Institutions above the level of Institutions above the level of principalities:principalities:

Court council ->Court council ->1. Parliament/ Great Council of 1. Parliament/ Great Council of Mechelen/Malines (legal)Mechelen/Malines (legal)2. Council of State (political)2. Council of State (political)

Chambers of account (financial)Chambers of account (financial)

States-General (1464) States-General (1464) (representative)(representative)

Parliament of Mechelen/Malines Parliament of Mechelen/Malines

Inheritance of Charles V Inheritance of Charles V (1500-58)(1500-58)

HabsburgHabsburg- Austria- Austria- claim on the - claim on the

imperial crownimperial crown BurgundyBurgundy

- Netherlands- Netherlands- Franche Comté- Franche Comté

Aragon/CastileAragon/Castile- Spain- Spain- Milan + - Milan +

Southern ItalySouthern Italy- colonial empire- colonial empire

The 17 ‘Netherlands’The 17 ‘Netherlands’

1548 Burgundian 1548 Burgundian Circle: 17 provinces Circle: 17 provinces a separate entity a separate entity within the Holy within the Holy Roman EmpireRoman Empire

1549 Pragmatic 1549 Pragmatic Sanction: uniform Sanction: uniform succession within succession within 17 provinces17 provinces

Philip II (1527-98) succeeds Philip II (1527-98) succeeds in 1555in 1555

King of Spain, Lord King of Spain, Lord of the Netherlandsof the Netherlands– Essentially a Essentially a

Spanish monarchSpanish monarch– Attempts at Attempts at

modernization modernization and centralizationand centralization

Bones of contention in Philip’s Bones of contention in Philip’s Policy in the NetherlandsPolicy in the Netherlands

Centralization (opposed Centralization (opposed by the high nobility of the by the high nobility of the Netherlands)Netherlands)

Strict repression of Strict repression of heresy and heresy and implementation of implementation of Catholic Reform (not Catholic Reform (not popular)popular)

Severe taxation policy Severe taxation policy (even less popular); (even less popular); especially after 1567especially after 1567

The Duke of AlbaThe Duke of Alba

Open Rebellion: the Dutch Open Rebellion: the Dutch RevoltRevolt

1568 open war1568 open war 1572 Holland sides 1572 Holland sides

with with William (the William (the Silent) of OrangeSilent) of Orange→→

1576 Peace of Ghent1576 Peace of Ghent 1579 Union of Utrecht1579 Union of Utrecht 1579 Union of Arras1579 Union of Arras 1581 Act of abjuration1581 Act of abjuration

A New State: the Republic of A New State: the Republic of the Seven United Provincesthe Seven United Provinces

1581-1588: 1581-1588: rebellious provinces rebellious provinces search for a new search for a new ‘sovereign’ (under ‘sovereign’ (under certain conditions)certain conditions)– Duke of AnjouDuke of Anjou– Archduke MatthewArchduke Matthew– Earl of LeicesterEarl of Leicester

All failedAll failed 1588: a Republic1588: a Republic

Structure of the RepublicStructure of the Republic

StatesStates of 7 provinces of 7 provinces are sovereign!are sovereign!– Holland, Zeeland, Holland, Zeeland,

Utrecht, Friesland, Utrecht, Friesland, Guelders, Overijssel Guelders, Overijssel and Groningenand Groningen

Formally equal Formally equal partners within the partners within the States-GeneralStates-General, , where a common where a common ‘foreign policy’ was ‘foreign policy’ was negotiatednegotiated

StatesStates Representative Representative

organisations (States) are organisations (States) are sovereignsovereign

Different composition in Different composition in each provinceeach province

Two important ‘civil Two important ‘civil servants’servants’– Stadtholder (military) Stadtholder (military)

(above: prince Maurice)(above: prince Maurice) – Grand pensionary (chairs Grand pensionary (chairs

the meetings of the the meetings of the states) states) (below: Oldenbarnevelt)(below: Oldenbarnevelt)

Result:Result: The richest province The richest province

(Holland) dominant(Holland) dominant Decision making Decision making

extremely slowextremely slow No sense of No sense of

‘national’ identity: ‘national’ identity: primarily local and primarily local and provincial affinityprovincial affinity

‘‘Particularism’Particularism’

Flag of AmsterdamFlag of Amsterdam

Attempts at ‘Nation’ Attempts at ‘Nation’ BuildingBuilding

Humanist discourse:Humanist discourse:– Preoccupation with Preoccupation with

‘classical’ ancestors ‘classical’ ancestors (mentioned by (mentioned by Caesar/Tacitus)Caesar/Tacitus)

– Creation of new Creation of new ‘national’ mythology‘national’ mythology

‘‘Batavian myth’Batavian myth’

Rembrandt van Rijn, Rembrandt van Rijn, Batavian OathBatavian Oath

Batavian MythBatavian Myth Identification of Identification of BataviBatavi

with Holland by humanist with Holland by humanist scholars, especially:scholars, especially:

Hugo Grotius,Hugo Grotius, Liber de Liber de Antiquitate Republicae Antiquitate Republicae BatavicorumBatavicorum (1610) (1610)– IndependenceIndependence– Institutions of Institutions of

governmentgovernment– ForitudeForitude– Industriousness Industriousness

All these ‘Batavian’ All these ‘Batavian’ virtues foreshadow virtues foreshadow ‘Dutch’/Holland ‘Dutch’/Holland virtues!virtues!

Formation of an ‘Empire’?Formation of an ‘Empire’?

A small confederation A small confederation ((Batavi Batavi = Republic) = Republic) stands up to the largest stands up to the largest empire in the world empire in the world (Romans = Spain)(Romans = Spain)

How did that happen?How did that happen? International relations:International relations:

– FranceFrance– England (1588)England (1588)– Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire

(1572)(1572)– Italian PeninsulaItalian Peninsula

The Formation of an Overseas The Formation of an Overseas ‘Empire’‘Empire’

War with Spain War with Spain hampered trade in hampered trade in exotic products, exotic products, especially after 1580especially after 1580

1590s the first attempts 1590s the first attempts to reach Asiato reach Asia

Foundation of various Foundation of various companies (companies (Compagnien Compagnien van verrevan verre))

1602 foundation of the 1602 foundation of the VOC (Dutch East India VOC (Dutch East India Company)!Company)!– Oldenbarnevelt again a Oldenbarnevelt again a

key player; States-Generalkey player; States-General

Vereenigde Oostindische Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie = Compagnie =

Dutch East India CompanyDutch East India Company The world’s first The world’s first

multinationalmultinational Exceptional powers Exceptional powers

granted by the granted by the States-GeneralStates-General– Monopoly on tradeMonopoly on trade– Power of attorney to Power of attorney to

conclude treatiesconclude treaties– Power of attorney to Power of attorney to

wage warwage war

State within a state?State within a state?

Gain and Godliness: Gain and Godliness: IdeologyIdeology

Motives:Motives:– Restoration of tradeRestoration of trade– Widen the scope of Widen the scope of

armed conflict with armed conflict with SpainSpain

– Collect wealth from Collect wealth from trade for the struggletrade for the struggle

Initiator: Johan van Initiator: Johan van OldenbarneveltOldenbarnevelt

Means of ‘colonization’Means of ‘colonization’

Not yet true Not yet true colonization, but colonization, but setting up trading setting up trading posts in Asiaposts in Asia

Contacts with local Contacts with local rulers, but no serious rulers, but no serious attempts to conquerattempts to conquer

Interloping: Interloping: capturing of ships capturing of ships and booty from and booty from particularly particularly Portugese shipsPortugese ships

JustificationJustification

Hugo GrotiusHugo Grotius– De Jure PraedaeDe Jure Praedae

(1604-6)(1604-6)– Mare LiberumMare Liberum (1609) (1609)

Hailed as basis for Hailed as basis for international lawinternational law

In fact: very In fact: very practical practical justification of justification of Dutch interloping Dutch interloping and the capturing of and the capturing of Portugese vesselsPortugese vessels

Gain and Godliness in the Gain and Godliness in the East: the Role of ReligionEast: the Role of Religion

In the Republic:In the Republic: Calvinism leading Calvinism leading

denomination (in denomination (in degrees)degrees)– ‘‘Public Church’Public Church’– NOT NOT State ChurchState Church

Freedom of Freedom of conscienceconscience

Other denominations Other denominations tolerated, but no tolerated, but no public worship for public worship for mostmost

Calvinism in the IndiesCalvinism in the Indies

Little missionary zealLittle missionary zeal– Still developing at Still developing at

homehome

Lack of meansLack of means– No investmentNo investment– Very few ministersVery few ministers– Serious competition Serious competition

from Catholic Churchfrom Catholic Church

Problem: VOC was in Problem: VOC was in charge of everythingcharge of everything

Religion bottom of the Religion bottom of the list; profit over faithlist; profit over faith

EpilogueEpilogue

Overseas ‘empire’ Overseas ‘empire’ emerged only in the emerged only in the – late - 19– late - 19thth century century

Rigid economic Rigid economic exploitation exploitation (‘Cultuurstelsel’) by (‘Cultuurstelsel’) by the the Kingdom of the Kingdom of the NetherlandsNetherlands

Staunch nationalismStaunch nationalism ‘‘Scramble for Africa’Scramble for Africa’ ‘‘True’ colonisation True’ colonisation

of the Dutch East of the Dutch East IndiesIndies