Europeans in India Part 7 The Dutch Enter the Fray Section III Commercial Activities – The Malabar (Kerala) Coast

Canberra 11 February 2023 In the narrative of the Dutch involvement in the Indian sub-continent, the term, Malabar coast and Kerala coast could be used interchangeably, for unlike the Portuguese, the Dutch were active across the entire coast of Kerala, which consisted of the three major kingdoms—Malabar, Cochin and Travancore. Kerala, the realm of the […]

Continue reading →

Europeans in India Part 7 The Dutch Enter the Fray Section II Commercial Activities – Gujarat, The Coromandel & Bengal

Canberra, 29 January 2023 The Dutch arrived in India and faced great opposition from the Portuguese, who pushed back with force. The animosity was such that they moved on to the Far-East and established themselves in today’s Indonesia. From their base in the archipelago, they made gradual and initially surreptitious inroads into South Asia, initially […]

Continue reading →

Europeans in India – Part 7 The Dutch Enter the Fray Section I: Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC)

Canberra, 20 January 2023 Spain and Portugal, both staunchly Catholic countries, had divided the world between them at the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. England and Netherlands, or Holland as it is sometimes known, both protestant countries, refused to agree to this arbitrary decision, defending the principle that ‘the sea was as free as the […]

Continue reading →

Indian History Part 73 The Sangama Dynasty, Section IV: Altering the Balance of Power

Canberra, 18 May 2019  Harihara Raya II had five grown up sons, at least three of whom were powerful governors and also ambitious. On his death, the succession was violently disputed by these three princes. This was a scenario that Harihara II had wanted to avoid, but the succession struggle continued for nearly two years […]

Continue reading →

Indian History Part 41: CULTURAL COLONISATION

Istanbul, 13 May 2015 The Hindu culture, derived from its practice in both the north and the south of the sub-continent, is deep rooted in South-East Asia. The seeds for this influence were sown during the period that is covered in this volume of the series on Indian history. Hindu roots to the societal development […]

Continue reading →