Dutch India

Dutch East India Company factory in Hugli-Chuchura, Bengal. Hendrik van Schuylenburgh, 1665

Dutch India is the Dutch colonial possessions on the Indian subcontinent, while Dutch Indies refers to the far wider notions of the Dutch West Indies (in the Americas) and especially the Dutch East Indies (mainly present Indonesia, the colonial jewel in the Dutch crown, confusingly often informally called Indië ('the region of Greater India') in Dutch). Its capital was Cochin, on the Malabar coast.

Timeline of Dutch India

• 1605 The Dutch created their first Indian factory at Masulipatnam.
• 1610–1825 Pulicat a Dutch possession.
• 1638 Factory established in Vengurla on the Konkan coast.
• 1658–1795 Tuticorin a Dutch possession.
• 1658–1781 Negapatnam a Dutch possession.
• 1780–1784 Coromandel Coast occupied by Britain.
• 1795–1818 British occupation of all Dutch India settlements.
• 1818 Malabar annexed to British India.
• 1818 Coromandel settlements restored to Netherlands.
• 1825 Coromandel ceded to Britain, becoming part of British India.

List of colonies

Dutch colonies on the Malabar coast (south-western coast of India) included:

• Cranganore of Cranganor (Kodungallor) (1662)
• Cochin de Cima (Pallipuram) (1661)
• Cochin, Cochin de Baixo or Santa Cruz (1663)
• Quilon (Coylan) (1661)
• Cannanore (1663–1790)
• Kundapura (1667–1682)
• Kayankulam (ca. 1645)
• Ponnani (ca. 1663)

Dutch colonies on the Coromandel coast (Eastern coast of India) included:

• Golkonda (1662 – ca. 1733)
• Bimilipatnam (1687–1795, 1818–25)
• Jaggernaikpoeram (1734–95, 1818–25)
• Daatzeram (1633–1730)
• Nagelwanze (1669–87)
• Palikol (1613–1781, 1785–95, 1818–25)
• Masulipatnam (1605–1756)
• Petapoeli or Nizampatnam (1606–68)
• Paliacatta (1610–1781, 1785–95, 1805–25)
• Sadras (1654–1757, 1785–95, 1818–25)
• Tierepopelier (Thiruppapuliyur, Thiruppadiripuliyur) (1608–25)
• Tegenapatnam, Coedeloer (Cuddalore) (1647–1758)
• Porto Novo (1608–1825)
• Negapatnam (1658–1781)
• Tuticorim (1658–1825).

Dutch Bengal

In 1608 the Netherlands created their first Indian colony. In 1625 Vereenigde Oostindische Companie of Holland, more commonly known as the Jan Companie or VOC, established a settlement at Chinsurah a few miles south of Bandel to trade in opium, salt, muslin and spices. They built a fort called Fort Gustavius and a church and several other buildings. A famous Frenchman, General Perron who served as military advisor to the Mahrattas, settled in this Dutch colony and built a large house here. The Dutch settlement of Chinsurah survived until 1825 when the Dutch in their process of consolidating their interests in modern day Indonesia, ceded Chinsurah to the English in lieu of the island of Sumatra (part of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824).

Fort Gustavius has since been obliterated from the face of Chinsurah and the church collapsed recently due to disuse, but much of the Dutch heritage remains. These include old barracks, the Governor's residence, General Perron's house, now the Chinsurah College and the old Factory Building, now the office of the Divisional Commissioner.

Source

• WorldStatesmen- India

Cuddalore History