ABSTRACT
The framework for this study is the establishment of Dutch intra-Asian trade and shipping. To understand the development of Dutch shipping in Asia to its peak in the second half of the 17th century, it is necessary to outline the initial development of Dutch-Asiatic trade (Gaastra 2003). The Dutch expansion, and the associated growth of the VOC’s Asian shipping networks to 1660, is segmented into two periods: the establishment of the organisation up to 1630, and the expansion and consolidation of the VOC network in Asia between 1630 and 1660. Within these periods various stages can be recognised.
