Dutch Malacca (1641–1825) was the longest period that
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has bee ...
was under foreign control. The
Dutch ruled for almost 183 years with intermittent British occupation during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
(1795–1815). This era saw relative peace with little serious interruption from the Malay sultanates due to the understanding forged between the Dutch and the
Sultanate of Johor
The Johor Sultanate ( ms, Kesultanan Johor or ; also called the Sultanate of Johor, Johor-Pahang, or the Johor Empire) was founded by Malaccan Sultan Mahmud Shah's son, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II in 1528. Johor was part of the Malaccan ...
in 1606. This time also marked the decline of the importance of Malacca. The Dutch preferred Batavia (present day
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
) as their economic and administrative centre in the region and their hold in Malacca was to prevent the loss of the city to other European powers and, subsequently, the competition that would come with it. Thus, in the 17th century, with Malacca ceased to be an important port, the Johor Sultanate became the dominant local power in the region due to the opening of its ports and the alliance with the Dutch.
Dutch conquest of Portuguese Malacca
In the early 17th century, the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC) began the campaign to usurp
Portuguese power in the East. At that time, the Portuguese had transformed Malacca into an impregnable fortress (the ''
Fortaleza de Malaca''), controlling access to the sea lanes of the
Straits of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula ( Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, co ...
and the
spice trade there. The Dutch started by launching small incursions and skirmishes against the Portuguese. The first serious attempt was the siege of Malacca in 1606 by the third VOC fleet from the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiograph ...
with eleven ships, under Admiral
Cornelis Matelief de Jonge
Cornelis Matelief de Jonge (c. 1569 – October 17, 1632) was a Dutch admiral who was active in establishing Dutch power in Southeast Asia during the beginning of the 17th century. His fleet was officially on a trading mission, but its true inte ...
that led to the
naval battle of Cape Rachado. Although the Dutch were routed, the Portuguese fleet of
Martim Afonso de Castro
Martim Afonso de Castro (died 3 June 1607 in Malacca) was a Portuguese Viceroy of India. He commanded the Portuguese Navy in the Battle of Cape Rachado and fought over the present day Malaccan exclave of Tanjung Tuan
Tanjung Tuan (formerly ...
, the Viceroy of
Goa, suffered heavier casualties and the battle rallied the forces of the Sultanate of Johor in an alliance with the Dutch and later on with the Acehnese.
The Dutch along with their local Javanese allies numbered around 700 men, assaulted and wrested Malacca from the Portuguese in
January 1641. Assistance was also provided to the Dutch also received help from the Johor Sultanate of around an additional 500–600 men. The Dutch also received supplies and rations from nearby and their recently-captured base of
Batavia.
The campaign effectively destroyed the last bastion of Portuguese power, removing their influence in the Malay archipelago. As per the agreement with Johor in 1606, the Dutch took control of Malacca and agreed not to seek territories or wage war with the Malay kingdoms.
Administration of Malacca
Malacca was controlled as a colony of the VOC. All the chief administrators of Malacca were Dutch governors except for the brief period that the city was under British Residents during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
. However, focus on the administration of Malacca eventually waned by the Dutch as they preferred to focus on Batavia.
The governors and residents list is as follows:
Governors of Malacca
The town and fortress of Malacca
The Dutch improved and expanded the
Portuguese fortress as well as renovating the fortress' gate in 1670, they further built walls to protect the harbour and expanded city. During the mid-17th century the city hall or
Stadthuys
The Stadthuys (an old Dutch spelling, meaning city hall) is a historical structure situated in the heart of Malacca City, the administrative capital of the state of Malacca, Malaysia in a place known as the Red Square. The Stadhuys is kno ...
was constructed and served as the administrative center of the Dutch colony, the building still stands today.
File:Stad en Kasteel Malacca.JPG, The town and fortress of Malacca in 1780
File:Melaka-St-Paul-Dutch-graves-2184.jpg, Dutch graves in the ruined St Paul's Church
File:Dutch Graveyard.JPG, Dutch Graveyard
The Dutch Graveyard ( ms, Perkuburan Belanda) is a Dutch mausoleum at St. Paul's Hill, Malacca City, Malaysia.
The graveyard was first used during the last quarter of the 17th century during Dutch-ruled Malacca. It was used in two stages, the ...
See also
*
Dutch Graveyard
The Dutch Graveyard ( ms, Perkuburan Belanda) is a Dutch mausoleum at St. Paul's Hill, Malacca City, Malaysia.
The graveyard was first used during the last quarter of the 17th century during Dutch-ruled Malacca. It was used in two stages, the ...
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutch Malacca
.Dutch Malacca
Malacca, Dutch
Malacca, Dutch
Former countries in Malaysian history
Malacca, Dutch
Former trading posts of the Dutch East India Company
Former settlements and colonies of the Dutch East India Company
Malaysia–Netherlands relations
States and territories established in 1641
States and territories disestablished in 1825
1641 establishments in the Dutch Empire
1825 disestablishments in the Dutch Empire
1641 establishments in Asia
1825 disestablishments in Asia