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    Why did the Dutch army fail against the British in Ceylon and India?-by P.k Balachandran Source:Dailymirror The Dutch were a pre-eminent politico-economic and military power in Ceylon and South India in the 17th and 18th centuries, having driven out the Portuguese from the region’s lucrative spice trade. But the Dutch could not withstand the onslaught of the British and the French when the latter made their appearance in the latter part of the 18th century. By 1796-1798, Dutch power had collapsed in both Ceylon and South India. In 1796, the Dutch surrendered their possessions in Ceylon virtually without a fight. There could have been more reasons than one for the collapse of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC). Some say that the VOC was not as good a business organisation as the English East Indian Company (EIC) was and that it was essentially a ...

Sep 25, 2022 Posted by In Articles Tagged ,
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Robert Knox Memorial – tribute to a British Traveler By Arundathie Abeysinghe   Located at Eladatte in Lagundeniya about 12 kilometers from Gampola town, this memorial is a tribute to *Robert Knox who lived in *Ceylon for almost 20 years as a captive of *King Rajasinghe II, the ruler of the Kandyan Kingdom.  Robert Knox was an English Sea Captain who served in the British East India Company. In 1659, when the ship he was sailing had a malfunction and landed in Ceylon, he was captured by King Rajasinghe II along with 15 other sailors and they were prisoners of the Kandyan Kingdom till he finally escaped to England (present United Kingdom) in 1680. Although, he was in captivity, the King had treated him well and he had been given land as well as houses to live in various places with almost unrestricted mobility within the Kandyan Kingdom. He had ...

Mar 15, 2021 Posted by In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged , , , , , ,
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The Richest Company In History-by Calin Aneculaesei Painting of Dutch Trading Fleet by Ludolf Bakhuizen Source:Medium The 17th century was the golden age for European colonialism. Some of the biggest companies in world history were created in this time period that brought in such levels of revenue that they dwarf current super-companies. These levels of revenue would allow some of these companies to even become self-governing, often acting outside the authority of the country which created them. Many have heard of the famous British East India Company which would go on to reach unimaginable levels of wealth bring a golden age to the United Kingdom, but even so, these levels of revenue don’t compare to the peak value of the Dutch East India Company. ...

Nov 23, 2020 Posted by In Articles Tagged ,
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