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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 ...