Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History / The Dutch Conquest of Ceylon: Cinnamon, War and Empire
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about how the Portuguese built their trading empire in Asia — feitorias, cartazes, the whole Estado da Índia system. But by the early 1600s, the Dutch East India Company, the VOC, was already chipping away at Portuguese strongholds. And one of their most ambitious targets was the island of Ceylon — modern Sri Lanka. Luna: Ceylon — that was the cinnamon island, right? Lucas: Exactly. Cinnamon was incredibly valuable in Europe — it was used in cooking, medicine, even perfumes. And the Portuguese had controlled the cinnamon trade from Ceylon since the early 1500s. They held coastal forts like Colombo, Galle, and Jaffna, and they forced Sinhalese cinnamon peelers to work under brutal conditions. But the VOC saw an opportunity. The Portuguese were overstretched, and the Kingdom of Kandy — the last independent Sinhalese kingdom in the central highlands — was looking for allies to push the Portuguese out. Lucas: They did. In 1638, the VOC signed a treaty with King Rajasinha II of Kandy. The king agreed to let the Dutch have a monopoly on cinnamon exports in exchange for military help against the Portuguese. It seemed like a smart alliance. The VOC sent ships and soldiers, and together they besieged Portuguese-held ports. They took Batticaloa in 1638, then Galle in 1640. But the Dutch had their own agenda. They weren't just helping Kandy — they were building their own empire. Luna: So they eventually turned on Kandy? Lucas: Pretty much. After capturing the coastal forts, the Dutch refused to hand them over to Rajasinha, as the treaty had promised. The king realized he'd just swapped one colonial power for another. And the VOC governor, Rijckloff van Goens, was especially aggressive. He wanted total control of the cinnamon-producing regions. From the 1650s onward, the Dutch expanded outward from their coastal bases, pushing into the interior and forcing the Kandyan kingdom into a defensive position. They even launched a major invasion of Kandy in 1765, but the rugged terrain and guerrilla tactics held them off. Luna: So Kandy remained independent? Lucas: Yes, the kingdom survived until the British took over in 1815. But the Dutch controlled the entire coastline, which meant they controlled the cinnamon trade. And they ran it with typical VOC efficiency — and ruthlessness. They set up a system called the 'cinnamon monopoly.' All cinnamon had to be sold to the Company at fixed, low prices. Peeling cinnamon was forced labor, imposed on specific caste groups. The VOC even destroyed wild cinnamon trees to prevent smuggling. If you were caught trading cinnamon illegally, the punishment could be death. Luna: That sounds a lot like what the Portuguese did with the cartaz system, but more… systematic. Lucas: It was. The VOC was a corporation, after all — profit was the only goal. And they were very good at it. At its peak, the Dutch cinnamon monopoly was immensely profitable. But it came at a huge human cost. The forced labor, the displacement of villages, the violence of the conquest — it left deep scars on Ceylonese society. One interesting legacy though: the Dutch also introduced Roman-Dutch law to the island, which is still the basis of Sri Lanka's legal system today, even after British and independent rule. Luna: Huh. So a colonial legal system outlasted the colony itself. Lucas: Exactly. And that's one of those subtle ways colonialism shapes a place long after the flags are gone. The Dutch ruled Ceylon for about 150 years, until the British took over in 1796 during the Napoleonic Wars. But the VOC's influence — in law, in architecture, in the social structure — is still visible. Luna: It's amazing how much of this history is still present in everyday life, if you know where to look. Lucas: And that's something I love about doing this show — connecting those dots. Speaking of which, I want to be honest with you and our listeners for a moment. This episode, like all our episodes, takes a lot of research and time to put together. And it's only possible because of a small group of listeners who chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No ads, no sponsors — just people who love history and want to keep these conversations going. Luna: Yeah, it's a really special community. And it's what lets us dive deep into topics like this without worrying about commercial breaks. Lucas: Exactly. So if you've been enjoying these episodes and want to help keep them ad-free, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Every little bit helps, and we're grateful for every single supporter. Now, back to Ceylon. One of the most dramatic episodes of the Dutch conquest was the siege of Colombo in 1655-1656. The VOC, under Gerard Hulft, besieged the Portuguese city for months. The Portuguese were cut off from reinforcements, and disease and starvation took a heavy toll. When Colombo finally fell, the Dutch had control of the island's commercial heart. Luna: What happened to the Portuguese residents? Lucas: Many were allowed to leave, but the Dutch took over their churches and turned them into warehouses or Reformed churches. The Catholic population was suppressed — the VOC was staunchly Calvinist and didn't tolerate Catholicism. Over time, the Dutch also brought in slaves from other parts of Asia to work on cinnamon plantations, adding another layer to the island's complex social fabric. Luna: So the VOC essentially recreated a plantation economy, but with a corporate twist. Lucas: Exactly. And the corporation's power was absolute. The VOC governor of Ceylon was effectively a king. He had his own council, his own army, even his own coinage. The whole island was run for the profit of shareholders in Amsterdam. It's a stark reminder that colonialism wasn't just about kings and queens — it was about companies, too. Luna: And those companies had a huge impact. I've seen the old Dutch buildings in Galle — they're beautiful, but they're also symbols of that control. Lucas: Right. The Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site now, a stunning example of Dutch colonial architecture. But behind those walls was a system of extraction and exploitation. It's a complicated legacy. And that's something we'll keep exploring as we continue this series.