Born c. 1567, Hoorn, the Netherlands
Died 1625

Since the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, Portugal had controlled European commerce in the Far East, including the rich spice trade of the East Indies. But after the Netherlands declared its independence from Spain in 1581, the rising young nation—with its large population of merchants and seaman—decided to challenge Portugal’s declining position in the Orient. By the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Netherlands had displaced Portugal as the major maritime and trading power in southeast Asia. In 1602 the Dutch East India Company was formed to establish trade policy and control in the area. The Dutch government granted the company exclusive rights to trade in the Indies. The company was allowed its own armed forces on land and sea, and could wage war against Spain and Portugal. It could also establish trading posts and colonies...