Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History / The Dutch in Ceylon: Cinnamon, Elephants, and Empire
Transcript
- Lucas: So last time we talked about the VOC in Batavia and the Cape, but one of their most profitable and brutal colonies was in Ceylon — modern-day Sri Lanka. The Portuguese had been there since the early 1500s, controlling the cinnamon trade, but the Dutch saw an opportunity to muscle in. Luna: And they did it through the VOC, right? The Dutch East India Company. Lucas: Exactly. The VOC arrived in the early 1600s, but they didn't immediately take over. They actually allied with the Kingdom of Kandy, in the interior, to push out the Portuguese. The Kandyan king, Rajasinha II, saw the Dutch as useful allies. But after they defeated the Portuguese together, the Dutch decided they didn't want to leave. Lucas: In 1658, they captured Colombo, the main Portuguese stronghold, and then Jaffna, Galle, and other coastal forts. By 1660, the VOC controlled most of the coast, and they immediately set about monopolizing cinnamon. They forced locals to peel cinnamon bark as a form of tax, and they punished anyone who sold it privately with death. Luna: So it was like the Banda Islands all over again, but with cinnamon instead of nutmeg. Lucas: Exactly. And the VOC governor who really drove this was Rijckloff van Goens. He's a fascinating figure — ruthless, efficient, and utterly convinced that the Company's profit came before everything else. He launched multiple campaigns into the interior to subdue Kandy, but the Kandyan kingdom was tough. They used the jungle and monsoon seasons to their advantage, and the Dutch never fully conquered them. Lucas: One of van Goens' most controversial moves was the introduction of the 'thombos' system — a detailed land registry that recorded every plot of land, its owner, and what crops were grown. This allowed the VOC to tax every single cinnamon tree, every coconut palm, every piece of fertile land. It was incredibly intrusive, and people resented it deeply. Luna: Wait, so they literally recorded every tree? How did they enforce that? Lucas: They used local headmen, whom they called 'mudaliyars', who were co-opted into the system. If a tree went missing, the headman was held responsible. And the penalties were harsh — beatings, confiscation of property, even execution. The VOC also brought in soldiers from Batavia, Java, and even mercenaries from Europe to enforce order. Lucas: But I think what's often overlooked is the role of elephants in Ceylon. The island had huge herds of elephants, and the VOC exported thousands of them to India, where they were used for warfare and ceremonial purposes. The Mughal emperors, especially, prized Ceylon elephants. The VOC established a monopoly on elephant exports too, and they used captured wild elephants as a form of tax payment. Luna: I never thought of elephants as a colonial commodity, but of course they were. Lucas: Right. And the elephant trade was brutal. Hunters would drive entire herds into stockades, then separate the young males for training. Many died in the process. But it was incredibly profitable — a single elephant could sell for thousands of guilders in India. The VOC even had a special 'elephant treasury' in Jaffna to manage the trade. Lucas: Despite the violence, Dutch rule also brought some changes that lasted long after they left. They introduced Roman-Dutch law, which is still the basis of Sri Lanka's legal system today. They also built fortified towns like Galle and Matara, and left a legacy of architecture. And of course, there's the Burgher community — descendants of Dutch and Portuguese settlers who intermarried with locals. Luna: So the Burghers — were they like the Mardijkers in Batavia? Lucas: Similar, but with a different status. The Mardijkers were freed slaves, whereas Burghers were free citizens, often part of the colonial administration. They spoke Portuguese and later Dutch, and many served as clerks, interpreters, and soldiers. After the British took over in 1796, the Burghers remained an influential middle class. Lucas: One story that really sticks with me is the siege of Kandy in 1765. The VOC decided they'd finally had enough of Kandyan resistance and sent a massive army under Governor Van Eck. They marched into the interior, captured the city, and forced the king to sign a treaty giving them control of the coast. But the moment the Dutch left, the Kandyan king tore up the treaty and rebuilt his army. Luna: So they never really subdued Kandy? Lucas: Never. The Kandyan kingdom remained independent until 1815, when the British finally took it. The Dutch tried everything — bribes, military campaigns, blockades — but the jungle and the monsoon made it nearly impossible. It's a testament to how resilient local kingdoms could be against European military technology, especially when they used guerrilla tactics. Lucas: And speaking of resilience, the VOC's own greed eventually undermined its rule. They overtaxed the peasants, monopolized everything, and crushed local trade. By the late 1700s, the company was bankrupt, and when the British took over Ceylon in 1796, many locals actually welcomed them — at first. Luna: Right, because the British were seen as less oppressive? Lucas: That's the irony — the British ended up being even more extractive in some ways, but that's a story for another episode. For now, I think the key takeaway is how the VOC's model of corporate colonialism — with its focus on monopoly, taxation, and violence — shaped the island's history for centuries. Lucas: And if you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you might be seeing a pattern. Time and again, the drive for profit — whether in nutmeg, cinnamon, or silver — led to extraordinary brutality. It's a heavy topic, but understanding it is so important. Luna: Yeah, it really makes you think about how the choices of a few people in boardrooms and palaces affected millions of lives. Lucas: Exactly. And if you want to help us keep having these conversations, ad-free and independent, you can support the show at buymeacoffee.com/fexingo. Every little bit helps us keep digging into these stories. Luna: And we really appreciate it. It's what lets us spend the time on research. Lucas: So, back to Ceylon — one thing I didn't mention is the cultural impact. The Dutch also brought the Reformed Church, and they tried to convert locals, but with limited success. They built churches that still stand today, like the one in Galle. But the majority of Sinhalese and Tamils remained Buddhist or Hindu. Luna: Right, because the Portuguese had already tried Catholicism, and the Dutch Calvinism, but neither really took hold outside the coast. Lucas: Exactly. And that's one of the legacies of Dutch rule — a pluralistic society where different religions and ethnic groups coexisted, albeit under a colonial hierarchy. It's a complex history, but one that's worth understanding if we want to make sense of modern Sri Lanka. Lucas: Next time, we'll look at how the British took over and what they changed. But for now, thanks for listening.