After the voyages of Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese began dominating the cloves trade in the East Indies around 1512. This dominance lasted for over a century until they were eventually expelled by the Dutch.

In 1570, the Portuguese demanded a monopoly over the Tenate clove trade, leading to the kidnapping, torture, and killing of the island's sultan. This brutal act triggered an island-wide rebellion, resulting in the end of Portuguese dominance in Tenate and paving the way for Dutch control.

The 1579 Union of Utrecht marked the beginning of the Republic of the United Netherlands, comprising seven northern provinces that fought for independence from Spanish rule. This period also saw a commercial competition between the Dutch and Spain/Portugal for control over trade routes and resources.

In 1580, the Portuguese crown was united in a personal union with the Spanish crown, known as the Iberian Union. This event had significant implications for the Dutch Republic and the Portuguese Empire.

The fall of Antwerp to the Hapsburg forces led to the rise of Amsterdam as the center of the European 'carrying trade'.

The defeat of the Spanish Armada allowed the Dutch fleet to challenge Spanish naval power and expand their maritime commercial trade under greater naval protection.

Compagnie Van Verre, also known as The Company of Trade With Distant Lands, was established.

In 1595, the Dutch launched their first expedition to Indonesia, which successfully returned with a large quantity of spices. This marked the beginning of the Dutch fleet's exponential growth and eventually led to the formation of the Dutch East India Company.

In 1597, the Compagnie van Verre, one of the six precursor companies to the Dutch East India Company, sent a fleet under Cornelis de Houtman to the East Indies. Despite significant casualties, the expedition proved the feasibility of a sea route to the East Indies and the Dutch potential to rival the Portuguese.

In 1598, Dutch salt traders, facing difficulties in securing salt in Portugal, began exploiting the vast salt deposits around the lagoon at Araya, near Cumaná in Venezuela. This led to an influx of Dutch ships visiting the region annually, engaging in salt trade and exchanging goods like cloth and hardware for Venezuelan tobacco and Margarita pearls.

In 1599, the Dutch reached Banda Naira, a significant source of nutmeg, and Tenate, a center of the clove trade. They aimed to control the market by limiting production on Tenate, leading to a price increase in Europe. This strategic move allowed the Dutch to dominate the spice trade in the region.

In 1600, the Dutch joined forces with the Muslim Hituese on Ambon Island in an anti-Portuguese alliance. This alliance granted the Dutch the sole right to purchase spices from Hitu and eventually led to Dutch control of Ambon.

In late December 1601, a fleet of five Dutch ships successfully drove away a fleet of thirty Portuguese ships from Bantam, Java. This event marked a significant turning point in history.

In 1602, the States Generaal united six small East India companies in the Netherlands to form the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), also known as the Dutch East India Company. This merger was aimed at consolidating Dutch efforts in challenging the Portuguese control over the spice trade.

In 1603, the VOC established its first permanent trading post in Indonesia on the island of West Java, solidifying its presence in the region and expanding its trade network.

The Dutch East India Company began trading in India in 1604 and established a factory in Pulicat on the Coromandel Coast. They expanded to other stations in Surat, Bengal, Malabar Coast, and Konkan, trading in silk, indigo, and calico fabric.

In 1605, under the leadership of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the Dutch East India Company successfully ousted the Portuguese from the Spice Islands, establishing their dominance in the region.

In 1606, King Ekathotsarot of Siam granted land to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Ayutthaya, allowing them to establish a factory to trade Siamese goods such as deerskins, buffalo horns, cowhides, and gumlac, which were later sold in Japan.

In 1607, Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the fourth governor-general of the Dutch East Indies, arrived on the Banda Islands. Known for his efficient yet cruel rule, Coen's legacy on Banda was marked by violence, including the mass murder of Banda tribal chiefs in 1621.

In 1609, Isaac Le Maire, a shareholder of the VOC, filed a petition against the company, marking the first recorded expression of shareholder activism due to poor corporate governance.

In 1610, the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) established a significant presence in Batavia, which is now known as Jakarta, Indonesia. This foothold marked the beginning of Dutch colonial influence in the region.

In 1611, the VOC established a trading post in the major Indonesian city of Jayakarta, marking its presence in the region and laying the foundation for its dominance in European trade with Asia.

In July 1612, due to the VOC's commercial success in Asia, the States Generaal allowed the VOC to bypass the stipulated liquidation after ten years as per the company charter.

In 1614, Jan Pieterszoon Coen, a harsh and arrogant accountant, became the director-general of the VOC at the young age of 28. He believed that the spice trade was crucial to Dutch national interest and took extreme actions to secure the VOC's monopoly in the Indonesian islands.

By 1615, the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) had expanded its fleet to 50 ships operating on the Holland - Dutch East Indies Route. The company's shipping activities between Asia and Europe saw a steady increase in the number of ships over the decades.

In August 1616, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) formally adopted the Brouwer route, which required ships to cross the Indian Ocean using specific latitudes to take advantage of west winds, shortening the voyage to Java and giving the VOC a competitive edge.

In 1617, directors of the VOC submitted a petition against the 'trade-by-arms' policy of the States Generaal. They argued that a commercial company should not bear the financial burden of the country's military interests, highlighting the tensions between economic and military objectives within the VOC.

In 1618, while sailing on the company ship the Dordrecht, a section of the west coast of Australia was accidentally discovered by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). This discovery contributed to the VOC's knowledge of the region.

Jan Pieterszoon Coen, with a force of nineteen ships, captured Jayakarta and established Batavia as the VOC headquarters, marking the beginning of Dutch dominance in the region.

Coen wrote a letter to the Heeren XVII on October 26, 1620, proposing to subjugate Banda and populate it with other people to bring the nutmeg harvest under Dutch control. The Heeren XVII approved of the plan, leading to a massacre in the Bandanese archipelago.

In May 1621, 44 Orang Kaya (local leaders) were killed in the Banda Islands, and captured or escaped Bandanese were sold into slavery. This event led to the Dutch East India Company importing slave labor from Java for nutmeg cultivation, establishing a monopoly over nutmeg and mace production.

In 1622, the VOC, under Jan Pieterszoon Coen's administration, massacred and evicted most of the population on the Banda Islands due to breaches of the nutmeg and mace trade monopoly. This event highlighted the harsh trade restrictions imposed by the VOC.

In 1623, the Dutch in Amboyna executed ten Englishmen, nine Japanese, and a Portuguese trader after a confession obtained under torture, leading to the Amboyna Massacre. This incident fueled the Anglo-Dutch Wars, with the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War resulting in the British Navy destroying the Dutch fleet in 1780, disrupting trade routes between Asia and Europe.

By 1628, the VOC sponsored several explorations of the South Land (Australia). Dutch maps from the 17th century show increased knowledge of Australia's coastlines, with about 4,000km surveyed and delineated on charts issued to VOC skippers.

The VOC ship Batavia wrecked near Beacon Island in the Abrolhos on its maiden voyage. Some survivors, including Commander Pelsaert, went in search of help in Batavia, while a group led by senior officer Jeronimus Cornelisz murdered about 125 marooned men, women, and children.

In 1633, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in Hoi An, Vietnam, after being granted trading privileges by the Trinh rulers. The demand for Tonkinese silk from northern Vietnam increased through this post.

On June 27, 1634, a significant shipment by the VOC arrived in the port of Amsterdam, including items like Malacca pepper, cloves, blue Ming ware, Korean and Japanese porcelain. This shipment showcased the vast trading network and influence of the VOC during that period.

In 1638, the Dutch East India Company seized control of the port town of Galle in Sri Lanka, along with the region's cinnamon plantations. VOC administrators settled in Colombo and exported thousands of cinnamon bales annually.

In 1639, the Dutch successfully seized the Portuguese trading colony/base in Formosa, benefiting from limited trade with Japan that year.

By 1640, the Dutch had gained control over a significant portion of Ceylon, present-day Sri Lanka.

In 1641, the Dutch were moved to Dejima, a small artificial island in Nagasaki harbour, by the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan. Despite the expulsion of foreigners under the isolationist policy, the Dutch were allowed to remain on Dejima and introduced telescopes, microscopes, and traded Tonkinese silks, resulting in significant profits for the VOC.

In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established a resupply outpost at the Cape of Storms, which later became the Cape Colony in South Africa. The outpost was set up to service Dutch East India Company ships on their journey to and from East Asia.

In 1654, a deadly plague outbreak occurred in Holland, similar to the one that happened in London during the same period.

On April 28, 1656, the Vergulde Draeck, a VOC ship, struck a reef off Ledge Point near Cape Leschenault while using the Brouwer route, highlighting the dangers of navigation in the region.

In 1658, the Vergulde Draeck shipwrecked, resulting in 79 lives lost. 75 survivors made it to shore, but only 7 crew members managed to sail to Batavia for help. Rescue mission led by the Waeckende Boei found wreckage but no sign of the remaining survivors due to bad weather.

In 1659, Doman, a Khoikhoi who had worked as a translator for the Dutch, led an armed attempt to expel the Dutch from the Cape peninsula, which ultimately failed.

In 1661-1662, the Dutch lost their Formosa outpost to Koxinga, a Chinese military leader and Ming Dynasty supporter, leading to the end of the profitable silk trade for the Dutch East India Company.

In 1662, Koxinga expelled the Dutch from Taiwan during the siege of Fort Zeelandia. This event marked the end of Dutch presence on the island.

In 1663-1664, another plague outbreak occurred in Holland, mirroring a similar outbreak in London. This period also saw the British seizing the Dutch island of New Amsterdam in retaliation for Dutch massacres in Rhun and Ambon in 1620, marking the beginning of a new colonization era.

In 1665, the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) had 103 ships operating on the Holland - Dutch East Indies route, highlighting the significant maritime presence and trade activities of the company.

In 1667, the British traded their last holding on the 'nutmeg' island Pulo Run with the Dutch in exchange for the island of New Amsterdam, which is now known as New York. This trade marked a significant shift in colonial possessions between the two powers.

By 1669, the VOC became the richest private company in the world with a large fleet of ships, employees, and significant dividend payments. It was a major player in global trade.

Around 1670, VOC trade growth stalled due to declining trade with Japan and the interruption of trade with Europe during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. This led to challenges in maintaining market share and profitability.

After a war temporarily interrupted the flow of pepper to NW Europe, the price of pepper spiked, leading the English East Indies Company to enter the market in 1672 and challenge the Dutch monopoly on the product.

The Slave Lodge was established in 1679 in Cape Town, South Africa. It served as a place where slaves who worked for the Dutch East India Company were housed.

In 1688, the Glorious Revolution took place in England where a Dutch monarch was placed on the throne, marking a significant event in English history.

By 1690, the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) had 156 ships operating on the Holland - Dutch East Indies Route. This route was crucial for trade between the Netherlands and the East Indies, contributing to the economic prosperity of the Dutch Republic.

The Ridderschap Van Holland disappeared in 1694 after leaving the Cape of Good Hope with 325 passengers and crew. Despite search efforts, the ship was never found.

Willem de Vlamingh is tasked with locating two missing Dutch East India Company ships and mapping parts of the Western Australian coast. His expedition results in the first European sighting of the Western Australian black swan.

In February 1697, the pewter plate left by Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog in 1616 was found by de Vlamingh on Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia. The plate was replaced, and a record of de Vlamingh’s visit on the Geelvinck was inscribed.

Around 1700, the VOC reached its peak of power, symbolized by a later shipment that included a $1,000 teapot from Corpus Christi. This period marked the height of the company's influence and prosperity.

In 1710, the VOC compelled the Zamorin of Calicut to sign a treaty undertaking to trade exclusively with the company and expel other European traders. However, the treaty was renounced in 1715, leading to increased English and French trade in the region.

The Zuytdorp ship carrying about 200 passengers and crew disappeared after leaving the Cape of Good Hope on 22 April 1712. None of the passengers reached Batavia.

In 1713, a Dutch ship brought smallpox to the Cape, a disease previously unknown locally, which ravaged the remaining Khoikhoi population, killing 90 percent of them.

The Fortuyn went missing on its maiden voyage to Batavia in 1724 after departing from the Cape of Good Hope. No wreckage or survivors were discovered.

The Aagtekerke disappeared after leaving Cape Town in 1726. Its whereabouts remain unknown.

The Zeewijk shipwrecked in the Abrolhos Islands in 1727 with 137 people on board. Survivors managed to reach Gun Island after initial casualties. They built a new vessel in Australia and sailed to Batavia with 88 survivors, facing six casualties on the way.

The VOC (Dutch East India Company) massacred 10,000 Chinese workers in the city of Batavia.

The Battle of Colachel in 1741 was a significant event where the Dutch East Indies Company was defeated by an alliance of South Indian principalities, possibly supported by Great Britain. This defeat marked the decline of Dutch power in the Malabar coast and led to the transfer of Dutch forts to Indian principalities.

The Treaty of Mavelikkara in 1753 marked the beginning of the end of Dutch influence in India. The Dutch agreed not to obstruct the Raja's expansion and to sell arms and ammunition to him. This treaty signified the diminishing power of the Dutch in the region.

In 1756, the VOC sent their last ships, the Rijder and the Buis, to explore the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia. This exploration marked the VOC's continued involvement in the exploration and charting of Australia.

The Dutch East India Company records an annual profit of six million guilders, showcasing its significant economic success during this period.

In 1762, ten VOC ships left the Netherlands with 2,653 people, of whom 1,095 or 45% died on the way to the Cape of Good Hope. Many sailors succumbed to diseases like dysentery, scurvy, typhus, pleurisy, and pneumonia.

In 1766, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) incurred significant expenses amounting to 12.2 million guilders to maintain its military presence, which included military officers, soldiers, and employees to uphold its trading monopoly.

In 1780, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) faced significant financial issues due to excessive dividends, high mortality rates among employees, and mismanagement of capital, leading to a precarious financial situation.

By 1783, the Dutch, once the greatest commercial maritime power for over 200 years, no longer possessed a single ship, marking a significant decline in their maritime influence.

Following the defeat in the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1784, the Dutch yielded to the English the right to trade in their territories, gradually losing control over their lands and trading rights.

In 1790, a new company was established but faced no commercial success, reflecting the declining economic fortunes of the Dutch East India Company.

In 1795, the English conquest of the Kingdom of Kochi marked the end of Dutch rule in India. This event further solidified the decline of Dutch influence in the region and paved the way for British dominance in India.

By 1796, the Dutch East India Company only retained control over Java and Ternate, signifying the diminished extent of its once vast trading empire.

In 1798, the Batavian Republic dissolved the Dutch East India Company, taking over its remaining assets. The Company's massive debt was absorbed by the state, transforming its commercial operations into colonial endeavors.

The Dutch East India Company, likened to a modern corporation, was formally dissolved by the government on December 31, 1799. Despite its once significant role in global trade and exploration, the company faced bankruptcy and decline.

On New Year’s Day 1800, the VOC charter, which served as the legal foundation of the enterprise, was revoked, leading to the end of two centuries of the VOC's dominance as the world's largest corporation.

After the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was disbanded in 1799, the Dutch government took over Indonesia and ruled it as a colony until after the Second World War, which ended in 1945.

Focuses on the rivalry between the English and Dutch in the Banda Islands during the 17th century, including armed conflicts and financial disputes.

This study explores the financial aspects of the Dutch East India Trade and its impact on the Amsterdam Capital Market during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In 2006, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Pieter Balkenende introduced the term 'VOC mentality' to symbolize Dutch business acumen, entrepreneurship, and decisiveness, but faced criticism for ignoring the negative aspects of colonialism and exploitation associated with the VOC.

A publication by Robert Parthesius focusing on Dutch ships navigating tropical waters, likely including voyages by the Dutch East India Company.

Examines the early years of the Dutch East India Company, known as VOC, and its significance in the development of modern corporations.

A comment was made about the Dutch East India Company (VOC) facing a harsh ending, implying its downfall.

The book 'The Dutch East India Company: The History of the World’s First Multinational' written by Charles River Editors and published in 2016 delves into the history and operations of the Dutch East India Company.

400 years later, the people of Banda still commemorate the massacre through dance and song, keeping the traumatic history alive in their collective memory.

The book 'Trade or War?: The Dutch East India Company in conflict with China' written by Adrian van Amstel and published in 2022 explores the historical conflicts between the Dutch East India Company and China.