Editing Western imperialism in Asia (section)

==Dutch trade and colonization in Asia==
{{main|Dutch colonial empire}}

===Rise of Dutch control over Asian trade in the 17th century===
[[File:AMH-4804-KB The spinning house at Batavia.jpg|left|thumb|Dutch settlement in the East Indies. [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] (now [[Jakarta]]), [[Java]], c. 1665.]]

The Portuguese decline in Asia was accelerated by attacks on their commercial empire by the Dutch and the English, which began a global struggle over the empire in Asia that lasted until the end of the [[Seven Years' War]] in 1763. The [[Dutch Revolt|Netherlands revolt against Spanish rule]] facilitated Dutch encroachment on the Portuguese monopoly over South and East Asian trade. The Dutch looked on Spain's trade and colonies as potential spoils of war. When the two crowns of the Iberian peninsula were joined in 1581, the Dutch felt free to attack Portuguese territories in Asia.

By the 1590s, a number of Dutch companies were formed to finance trading expeditions in Asia. Because competition lowered their profits, and because of the doctrines of [[mercantilism]], in 1602 the companies united into a [[cartel]] and formed the [[Dutch East India Company]], and received from the government the right to trade and colonize territory in the area stretching from the [[Cape of Good Hope]] eastward to the [[Strait of Magellan]].

In 1605, armed Dutch merchants captured the Portuguese fort at [[Ambon, Maluku|Amboyna]] in the Moluccas, which was developed into the company's first secure base. Over time, the Dutch gradually consolidated control over the great trading ports of the East Indies. This control allowed the company to monopolise the world [[spice trade]] for decades. Their monopoly over the spice trade became complete after they drove the Portuguese from [[Malacca]] in 1641 and [[Ceylon]] in 1658.

[[File:Colombo, after Kip.jpg|thumb|Colombo, [[Dutch Ceylon]], based on an engraving of circa 1680]]
Dutch East India Company colonies or outposts were later established in Atjeh ([[Aceh]]), 1667; [[Macassar, Mozambique|Macassar]], 1669; and [[Bantam (city)|Bantam]], 1682. The company established its headquarters at [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] (today [[Jakarta]]) on the island of [[Java (island)|Java]]. Outside the East Indies, the Dutch East India Company colonies or outposts were also established in [[Persia]] ([[Iran]]), [[Bengal]] (now [[Bangladesh]] and part of India), [[Mauritius]] (1638-1658/1664-1710), [[Ayutthaya kingdom|Siam]] (now [[Thailand]]), [[Guangzhou]] (Canton, China), [[Taiwan]] (1624–1662), and southern India (1616–1795).

Ming dynasty China defeated the Dutch East India Company in the [[Sino-Dutch conflicts]]. The Chinese first [[Penghu#Ming dynasty|defeated and drove the Dutch out of the Pescadores in 1624]]. The Ming navy under [[Zheng Zhilong]] defeated the Dutch East India Company's fleet at the 1633 [[Battle of Liaoluo Bay]]. In 1662, Zheng Zhilong's son [[Koxinga|Zheng Chenggong]] (also known as Koxinga) expelled the Dutch from Taiwan after defeating them in the [[siege of Fort Zeelandia]]. (''see'' [[History of Taiwan]]) Further, the Dutch East India Company trade post on [[Dejima]] (1641–1857), an artificial island off the coast of [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]], was for a long time the only place where Europeans could trade with Japan.

The Vietnamese [[Nguyễn lords]] defeated the Dutch [[Trịnh–Nguyễn War#Later campaigns|in a naval battle in 1643]].

The Cambodians defeated the Dutch in the [[Cambodian–Dutch War]] in 1644.

In 1652, [[Jan van Riebeeck]] established an outpost at the [[Cape of Good Hope]] (the southwestern tip of Africa, currently in [[South Africa]]) to restock company ships on their journey to East Asia. This post later became a fully-fledged colony, the [[Dutch Cape Colony|Cape Colony]] (1652–1806). As Cape Colony attracted increasing Dutch and European settlement, the Dutch founded the city of Kaapstad ([[Cape Town]]).

By 1669, the Dutch East India Company was the richest private company in history, with a huge fleet of merchant ships and warships, tens of thousands of employees, a private army consisting of thousands of soldiers, and a reputation on the part of its stockholders for high dividend payments.

===Dutch New Imperialism in Asia===
{{main|Dutch East Indies}}
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Gouverneur Bijleveld met Sultan Hamengkoe Boewono VIII tijdens een bezoek aan de Kraton van de Sultan van Jogjakarta TMnr 60033546.jpg|thumb|upright|The Dutch Governor-General, highest authority in the colony and the Sultan of Jogjakarta.]]

The company was in almost constant conflict with the English; relations were particularly tense following the [[Amboyna Massacre]] in 1623. During the 18th century, [[Dutch East India Company]] possessions were increasingly focused on the East Indies. After [[Fourth Anglo-Dutch War|the fourth war]] between the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]] and England (1780–1784), the company suffered increasing financial difficulties. In 1799, the company was dissolved, commencing official colonisation of the [[East Indies]]. During the era of New Imperialism the territorial claims of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) expanded into a fully fledged colony named the [[Dutch East Indies]]. Partly driven by re-newed colonial aspirations of fellow European nation states the Dutch strived to establish unchallenged control of the [[archipelago]] now known as [[Indonesia]].

Six years into formal colonisation of the East Indies, in Europe the [[Dutch Republic]] was occupied by the French forces of [[Napoleon]]. The Dutch government went into exile in England and formally ceded its colonial possessions to Great Britain. The pro-French Governor General of Java [[Jan Willem Janssens]], resisted [[Invasion of Java (1811)|a British invasion force in 1811]] until forced to surrender. British Governor [[Stamford Raffles|Raffles]], who the later founded the city of [[Singapore]], ruled the colony the following 10 years of the British [[interregnum]] (1806–1816).

After the defeat of [[Napoleon]] and the [[Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814]] colonial government of the East Indies was ceded back to the Dutch in 1817. The loss of South Africa and the continued scramble for Africa stimulated the Dutch to secure unchallenged dominion over its colony in the East Indies. The Dutch started to consolidate its power base through extensive military campaigns and elaborate diplomatic alliances with indigenous rulers ensuring the Dutch [[Triband (flag)|tricolor]] was firmly planted in all corners of the [[Archipelago]]. These military campaigns included: the [[Padri War]] (1821–1837), the [[Java War]] (1825–1830) and the [[Aceh War]] (1873–1904). This raised the need for a considerable military buildup of the colonial army ([[KNIL]]). From all over Europe soldiers were recruited to join the KNIL.{{NoteTag|In 1819 the standing army consisted of over 7,000 European and 5,000 indigenous troops.<ref>Willems, Wim ''Sporen van een Indisch verleden (1600-1942)''. (Leiden, South Holland: COMT, 1994). Chapter I, P.&nbsp;24 {{ISBN|90-71042-44-8}}</ref>}}

The Dutch concentrated their colonial enterprise in the [[Dutch East Indies]] (Indonesia) throughout the 19th century. The Dutch lost control over the East Indies to the Japanese during much of World War II.<ref>{{cite web |last=Klemen |first=L |url=https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/index.html |title=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |access-date=2021-03-30 |archive-date=2011-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726053035/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Following the war, the Dutch fought Indonesian independence forces after Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945. In 1949, most of what was known as the Dutch East Indies was ceded to the independent Republic of Indonesia. In 1962, also [[Dutch New Guinea]] was annexed by Indonesia de facto ending Dutch imperialism in Asia.