Asia

New book on the Spice islands: Spain and Moluccas in the 16th and 17th centuries

In the Spice islands. Spain and Moluccas in the 16th and 17th centuries

On the occasion of the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Ferdinando Magellano’s first trip around the world. A new book about the Spice Islands has just been published by the Spanish publishing house Desperta-Ferro, specialized in Spanish military history. It is a large format book (384 pages, 189 x 246 mm), and includes old maps. I had the honor ...

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Portuguese Malacca 1511-1641

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. THE PORTUGUESE CONQUEST At the time of the Portuguese arrival in the Asian seas, Malacca thanks to its strategic position on the strait bearing the same name, was a remarkable trading center for the trade and shunting of spices. At that time, Malacca was ruled by a Muslim Sultan. The ...

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Dutch Malacca 1641-1795, 1818-1825

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. On 14 January 1641 the Dutch took possession from the Portuguese of the fortress of Malacca with the help of their ally the Sultan of Johore. The Dutch had treaties with the Johore Sultans to get rid of the Portuguese. The Malays were confident of a victory with the help ...

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Book: Spice Islands Forts by Simon Pratt

Spice Islands Forts by Simon Pratt

Written by Marco Ramerini. On this page I want to write about an interesting book that has just been published. The book tells the story of the spice islands and focuses on the fortifications that Europeans built on these islands to control their trade. The story narrated in Simon Pratt’s book begins with the first contacts with Europeans and reaches ...

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The Dutch Fort of Tangalle, Sri Lanka

Fort2. Author Dirk Holtschlag

Written by Marco Ramerini. Photos by Dirk Holtschlag. Tangalle is a small coastal town located a few kilometers east of the city of Matara, in the extreme south of the island of Ceylon. At the time of the Dutch occupation of Ceylon, Tangalle, thanks to its natural harbor, was used by them as an important anchorage. Here, around 1775, the Dutch ...

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St Thomas Fort, Tangasseri or Thangassery, Kerala, India

Written by Marco Ramerini. Photos by Prof. Rahul Basu. Tangasseri or Thangassery / Kollam is a city located along the coast of the ancient Malabar, in the Indian state of Kerala in southern India. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in this port of Malabar, they landed there in 1502. In the following years Tangasseri or Thangassery / Kollam that the Portuguese called ...

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The Catholic mission in Bengal prior to the nineteenth century

The Basilica of the Holy Rosary, Bandel, Hughli. Copyright Stefan Halikowski Smith

Written by Prof. Stefan Halikowski Smith, Dept. of History, Swansea University. The Bengal mission was one of the most Christian successful mission-fields in the Orient in early modern times, despite relatively small numbers of active missionaries. However, the mission, despite its successes in ‘harvesting souls’, encountered bitter political vituperation between the two orders active here, the Augustinians and Jesuits, who ...

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Sri Lanka Burgher Family Genealogy: Andree/Abernethy

The Burghers of Sri Lanka. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Written by Phil Abernethy. Enid Ursula Andree was born on the 28 Oct 1928 in KL Malaysia my father Fredrick Alexandra Abernethy (Freddy) die on the 23 May 1979 in Perth WA, they had 2 Children, myself – Philip Andrew Abernethy born 23 June 1960 in KL Malaysia and Anna Agnes Abernethy born 22 Jul 1948 in KL Malaysia, married ...

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The Role of the Portuguese Language in Lusophone Asia

Map of Asia (1627). Authors Bertius; Danckerts; Tavernier. No Copyright

Written by Dietrich Köster Portuguese India/Estado da Índia Portuguesa – Goa, Daman/Damão and Diu Until the invasion of Nehru’s troops in December 1961 Portuguese was the official language, while after the annexation English received this status. The local languages Konkani in Goa and Gujarati in Damão and Diu only play a minor role in public life. Even during the Portuguese ...

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Political Development of the former German Colonies since 1920

Written by Dietrich Köster COLONIES IN AFRICA GERMAN EAST AFRICA, takeover in 1884/85 Tanganyika Territory 1920 to the United Kingdom – 1961 Independent State of Tanganyika/1962 Republic of Tanganyika – April 1964 part of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar/ November 1964 United Republic of Tanzania Ruanda-Urundi 1920 to Belgium – 1962 Republic of Rwanda (northern part) and 1962 ...

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The Forts of the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Today

Fort Kayu Merah, Ternate, Indonesia. Author and Copyright Simon Pratt

Written by Simon Pratt Forts of the Banda Islands The Banda Islands, reached via Ambon, contain some of the most historic and evocative forts of the old Dutch East Indies. Most impressive is Dutch-built Fort Belgica (constructed 1611) towering over the tiny township of Bandaneira. Following refurbishment in the 1990’s it remains the best preserved of all forts scattered across ...

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Bahrain: Portuguese Fort of Qal’ at Arad

Fort Arad, Bahrain. Author and Copyright João Sarmento.

Written by Marco Ramerini. Photos by João Sarmento. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. The Portuguese Fort of Qal’ at Arad, Bahrain. The fort of Arad is located on the island of Muharraq – the northernmost island of the archipelago of Bahrain – the fort rises in front of the beach in a cove along the southern coast of the ...

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Bahrain: Portuguese Fort of Halat Bu Maher

Fort of Halat Bu Maher, Bahrain

Written by Marco Ramerini The fort of Halat Bu Maher (also know as Qal’at Abu Mahir) is located on Muharraq island – the northernmost island of the archipelago – and was strategically situated to control both the straits between Bahrain and Muharraq, and the bay between Muharraq Town and Arad Fort. In 1630s. the Portuguese maps (“Livro das Plantas de ...

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Bahrain: Portuguese Fort of Qala’at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort)

Qala'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort), Bahrain

Written by Marco Ramerini. Photos by João Sarmento. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. The Portuguese Fort of Qala’at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort), Bahrain. Remains of Qal’ At Al-Bahrain (16th century) or Portuguese Fort. The fort consists of three huge strongholds and the remnants of two towers in the middle and full walls linking the three strongholds together. It is surrounded ...

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The Dutch West India Company. WIC (West-Indische Compagnie)

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. The WIC (West-Indische Compagnie) Dutch West India Company was a Dutch trading company shaped after the example of the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie – Dutch East India Company). On June 3, 1621 it was granted a charter for the ‘right on shipping and trade’ and a 24 years monopoly of ...

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India. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini Under Costruction… INDIA: GUJARAT MAHARASHTRA Vengurla, Wingurla: Netherlands: trading office and fort 1638 – ? Source: Disney, A. “Twilight of the pepper empire”  KARNATAKA Mangalore, Mangalor: KERALA Cochin: (Cochim, Cochin, Kochin, Couchyn, Couchin, Coutchin) Netherlands: 7/8 Jan. 1663 – 20 Oct. 1795 to the English Vypin: (Vypin, Baipin, Waipin, Vaipin) Ajengo:  Netherlands: factory TAMIL NADU Negapatam: (Nagappattinam, Nagapatnam, Negapatnam) ...

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Indonesia. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini Under Costruction… INDONESIA: Batavia: Netherlands: 1619 – Poelo Gontong (Sumatra): Netherlands: ? – 1765 On the tiny island of Poelo Gontong, in east Sumatra, the Company set up a guard post even before the Siak area had been conquered. This military outpost soon acquired a reputation as an unhealthy place with a high percentage of fatalities. ...

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Sri Lanka (Ceylon). List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini SRI LANKA: WEST COAST (North of Colombo) Colombo: (Colombo, Columbo, Calamba, Kolombo, Colombe) (6°56′ N – 79°51′ E) Hultsdorf: (Hulffsdorp, Hulfsdorp, Hulftsdorp, Hulsdorp, Hulstsdorp) Kasteel Netherlands: 12 May 1656 – 16 Feb 1796 British: 16 Feb 1796 – Sources: Brohier “Links between Sri Lanka and The Netherlands: a book of Dutch Ceylon” Ribeiro “The historic tragedy ...

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South East Asia and the Far East. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini BANGLA DESH: Dhecca, Decca (Dhaka): Netherlands: trading office Until 1704 Dhaka was the seat of the Nawab of Bengal. From 1664 the Nawab functioned as the viceroy of Bengal. He sent an emissary to the administration of the Company in Batavia requesting aid in his battle against the Arakan. Both the Dutch and the English established ...

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Arabia and Persian Gulf. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. YEMEN Aden: Netherlands: trading office: August 1620- November/December 1620 On 22 August 1620 the Dutch ship “‘T Wapen van Zeelandt” reached Aden; here the Dutch immediately rented a house. When the ship left Aden, five servants and a supply of goods (worth about 42.000 guilders) were left in the trading post ...

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