The Early Seventeenth Century of the English East India Company in the Spice Archipelago
The English Company's first interest lay in the Malay Archipelago and the Spice islands, although from the start it faced considerable competition from Dutch merchants. The fleet of the first voyage (1600) visited Acheen in Sumatra and Bantam in Java; in both places the commander, James Lancaster, obtained permission to trade and to establish a factory. He also visits the Moluccas. The fleet of the second voyage (1604) return to Sumatra and Bantam and visit the Banda islands and Amboyna, where merchants tried but failed to obtain trading rights. The third voyage (1606) marked the first contact with India. Captain Hawkins in the ship Hector reached Surat in 1607 and proceeded to Agra in an effort to secure trading privileges. While returning, they visit to Sumatra, Bantam and the Moluccas. During the fourth voyage (1608), the ships Ascension return to Surat and then visited Aden and Mocha on the Red Sea, …show more content…
In 1617, the Company gained possession of the islands of Pulo Run and Rosengyn and establish a factory at Macassar in Celebes. In 1620, however, the Dutch expelled the English from Pulo Run and from the largest of the Banda islands, Lantore. In 1621, the Dutch drove the English from Bantam although the factory was re-established a few years later. The factors retired to Batavia but because of the hostilities, the Governor and Council turned their attention towards the east coast of India. Some factors from Bantam settled at Masulipatam on the Coromandel Coast. The rivalry with the Dutch culminate in the massacre of the English factors at Amboyna in 1623, after that the Company no longer made serious efforts to develop trade in the Spice Islands or the Malay Archipelago. It withdrew most of its factories in the region including those in Japan and
The English Company's first interest lay in the Malay Archipelago and the Spice islands, although from the start it faced considerable competition from Dutch merchants. The fleet of the first voyage (1600) visited Acheen in Sumatra and Bantam in Java; in both places the commander, James Lancaster, obtained permission to trade and to establish a factory. He also visits the Moluccas. The fleet of the second voyage (1604) return to Sumatra and Bantam and visit the Banda islands and Amboyna, where merchants tried but failed to obtain trading rights. The third voyage (1606) marked the first contact with India. Captain Hawkins in the ship Hector reached Surat in 1607 and proceeded to Agra in an effort to secure trading privileges. While returning, they visit to Sumatra, Bantam and the Moluccas. During the fourth voyage (1608), the ships Ascension return to Surat and then visited Aden and Mocha on the Red Sea, …show more content…
In 1617, the Company gained possession of the islands of Pulo Run and Rosengyn and establish a factory at Macassar in Celebes. In 1620, however, the Dutch expelled the English from Pulo Run and from the largest of the Banda islands, Lantore. In 1621, the Dutch drove the English from Bantam although the factory was re-established a few years later. The factors retired to Batavia but because of the hostilities, the Governor and Council turned their attention towards the east coast of India. Some factors from Bantam settled at Masulipatam on the Coromandel Coast. The rivalry with the Dutch culminate in the massacre of the English factors at Amboyna in 1623, after that the Company no longer made serious efforts to develop trade in the Spice Islands or the Malay Archipelago. It withdrew most of its factories in the region including those in Japan and