After Malacca was conquered by the Portuguese , communities like Hindus, Chinese, Thai, benefitted due to their support. If what I read was correct, they paid lower taxes too.
Malacca was in the Portuguese hands for a century, when the hunted lion wanted to take revenge. Yes, those who read this series of posts, can guess easily – these are the descendants of Malacca Sultanate, who are in exile. They came to south and their descendants had formed the Sultanate of Johor.
They used the rivalry of Portuguese and Dutch, had an alliance with the Dutch. As this post is not about war history, let me skip the part of how Dutch put an end to the Portuguese era in Malacca. But I am interested to write about the stark contrast in lifestyle of Indian traders during Dutch period.
That was like a shift from a free-trade model to a corporate model.
The Dutch were not just a kingdom; they worked like a corporation. This changed the way of how an Indian merchant lived, worked, and socialized.
Before the Dutch dominance, Indian traders (like the Chulias, Chettiars, and various Tamil/Telugu merchants) operated with a high degree of autonomy. They were independent entrepreneurs. They decided which ships to board, which ports to visit, and they negotiated prices directly with local Sultans or Portuguese officials.
The Dutch introduced a Monopoly System. The Indian traders’ role shifted. Instead of being independent global players, they became essential “middlemen” or “suppliers” for the Dutch machine. The price was fixed by the machinery.
During the Portuguese to Dutch transition period, the Chettis’ houses came under attack (need verification) and the community moved From Kampong Keling to Gajah Berang. The burning of homes and the forced displacement from established areas to places like Tengkera and Bachang represents a massive loss of wealth, stability, and ancestral roots. For a merchant community, losing your “base” is a devastating blow to your social standing and economic security.
历史 (Lìshǐ)
English: History
Tamil: வரலாறு
Hindi: इतिहास
Malay: Sejarah
Fascinating piece, Pandian. The shift you describe from free trade to a corporate monopoly system under the Dutch is such an underappreciated turning point, it’s easy to forget how much colonial economics reshaped everyday merchant life, not just politics. The detail about the Chettis being displaced from Kampong Keling to Gajah Berang really drives home how personal that shift was. Looking forward to the next part of this series.
It provided them (Dutch) immense wealth and control over trade at Malacca. They brought textiles from eastern coast of India, exchanged it for spices and other wares in Malacca. Interesting history. This part of history is like a compass for Indian trade for the years to evolve. Thanks for reading and commenting.
this is intense dive into the history of Dutch. I often feel do we all have mix culture in our society because of the role of traders.
In a way is a shared culture of Indian trade as well. As I recently wrote in my piece in Unicorn, trade is a carrier of arts, engineering and religion. When India lacks behind in global trade, east is a vital link that should be refurbished for mutual benefit. Thanks for reading and commenting.