1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 642 "Jianye Peace Treaty"

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom constitute the "four" famous spices of the Dutch East India Company, and the Spice Islands (now the Indonesian Maluku Islands) controlled by the Dutch are only the origin of the latter three high-quality spices.In order to obtain ultra-high profits, the East India Company will artificially reduce the production of spices. They force the local natives to cut down too many nutmeg and clove trees, and prohibit any competitors from entering this area to purchase spices.They also control the amount of spices shipped to Europe each year within a "controllable" range, creating the scarcity of this product to obtain higher profits.

However, there is a very fatal weakness in the Dutch spice trade.

Since the 16th century, pepper has always been the main product in Europe's demand for spices, accounting for the vast majority of its share.During this period, Europe's annual demand for pepper was about 700 million pounds (1 pound = 0.45 kilograms), and the total of the "big four" spices controlled by the Dutch East India Company was only more than 100 million pounds.

However, the Dutch never had full control of pepper, as pepper was produced in several different places, not all of which were controlled by the Dutch.For example, in a very vast area of ​​production on the southeast coast of India, the power of the Dutch is limited to the coast, and a large amount of pepper is produced in the interior, which is not under their control.

The demand for spices in the European market grew rapidly in the 16th century, and the consumption at least doubled. By the 17th century, the total consumption of spices was more or less stable, and even declined.This meant that when spices became cheaper and more accessible, they ceased to be symbols of wealth and luxury.

In addition, changes in eating habits also have a direct impact on the consumption of spices.With the development of capitalism in Europe, the business class has gradually become a social force that cannot be underestimated.They gradually moved from the appendages of the feudal lords to independence.At this time, aesthetic tastes, living habits, including dietary preferences have all deflected or merged.

The "medieval oriental style" of the nobles in the past is outdated.By the middle and late 17th century, although the actual volume of the spice trade had doubled compared to the time of Columbus.However, when the Dutch were still happily transporting spices from the Spice Islands to Europe, people had already begun to have a disgusting and mocking attitude towards dishes with a lot of oriental condiments. Obviously, everyone gradually lost their sense of spices. interest.The new diet concept believes that the delicacy of food comes from its own properties rather than ingredients.

The change in eating habits in the future will be very fatal to the Dutch East India Company.Their quest for a monopoly on spices becomes ironic, as they control products of declining value while ignoring cheaper but ultimately larger products such as cotton cloth, tea, coffee, and cocoa.This also laid an important foreshadowing for their future decline.

And Qi Tian suggested that Governor De Lin enrich and diversify the products of their East India Company, so as to properly support the Dutch East India Company, let it create more wealth for the Netherlands, indirectly enhance the strength of the Netherlands, and lay a solid foundation for the future Against the challenge of the British, lay some economic foundations.Secondly, with Qi's current maritime transportation capacity, it is temporarily impossible to export the produced goods to Europe. It would be better to use the powerful business channel network of the Dutch East India Company to make it the "intermediary" and "agent" of Qi's goods. By".

Previously, the success of the Dutch East India Company in Asia was that they not only carried out trade between Asia and Europe, but also opened up the intra-Asian trade system, just as the fourth governor of the Dutch East India, Jane Peter As Szorn Cohen planned back then:

Exchange cloth from Gujarat for pepper and gold on the coast of Sumatra, exchange rials (silver coins) and cotton cloth from Coromandel, India for pepper in Banten, and exchange sandalwood, pepper, and rials for Ming Products and gold, exchanged Ming goods for Japanese silver and copper, and then exchanged silver to buy Ming porcelain, silk and other goods-one after another, endlessly.

Now, Qi Tian is going to replace and supplement the missing link of Daming and Japan in the Dutch East India Company's intra-Asian trade system with Qi as a substitute and supplement, and enrich their trade commodity categories, temporarily maintaining the prosperity of the East India Company.

"Our country Qi is not interested in the spice business of your East India Company, nor will it touch your monopoly and control over the Spice Islands. Our core interest is immigration, and for a long time to come, this core interest will not Changes have taken place. The core interests of your East India Company should be trade, or in other words, obtaining a steady stream of commercial profits. I don’t think there is a fundamental conflict between our core interests.”

"In order to immigrate, we must establish a series of key supply points and transit points in the Nanyang region. However, we can guarantee that as long as our East India Company does not touch our core interests and hinder our immigration affairs, we will not use These supply points and transfer points, to attack your East India Company trade ships. If you want, you can even open these supply points to your East India Company.”

Governor Delin returned to the place where he stayed, recalling the young king's words, he still couldn't calm down.The Hanzhou people have a territorial ambition for the East Indies. They keep saying that they want to establish a series of immigration supply points all the way to the Ming Dynasty.But if they are allowed to operate for a long time, these dotted supply points may not be guaranteed to become the hinge of the East India Company's death at some point in the future.

However, Governor Delin also understands that with the strength of the East India Company, they will not be able to prevent them from establishing these star chain-like supply points, unless the East India Company abandons everything and wages a continuous war with Hanzhou.But he understands that the company doesn't say whether it has the will or not, it just wants to fight a long-term war with Hanzhou with all its strength, and the final result may be exactly what the king said, they have the ability and strength to defeat any enemy at their doorstep. an opponent.

"The interests of the East Indies and the free passage of the Strait of Malacca are allowed to be shared with Hanzhou." Governor Delin said to the company's senior representative for foreign affairs, Evel Jimenez, who presided over the negotiations: "However, Hanzhou must promise, The strongholds established in the East Indies must not be hostile to the East India Company, and should be opened to me unconditionally. In addition, we need to sign another memorandum of business cooperation with Hanzhou to establish and deepen trade between the two parties.”

"Governor, if this is the case, isn't our concession too great? In this way, it may bring unpredictable risks to the company's commercial interests." Jimenez asked.He didn't know what was said between the king of Hanzhou and the governor that day that made him make such a huge concession.

"No, I made this decision based on the best interests of the company." Governor De Lin said: "I will write a letter specifically to report the reasons for transferring the interests of the East Indies to the committee in Amsterdam."

When Jimenez heard this, he didn't ask any more questions. The Governor must have reached an unknown verbal agreement with the king, which may have decisive significance for the future development of the entire East India Company.

After the top leaders of the two sides basically established the principles and framework of the peace talks, after only a few days, the representatives of Han and Holland quickly drafted a peace treaty:
1650. The Qi State and the East India Company will begin on January 1, 1. Both sides will end all military operations and no longer attack each other's ships and strongholds.After the signing of the agreement, within one month, all persons captured during the war will be unconditionally released.

[-]. The East India Company respected Qi's right to own the entire Hanzhou mainland and its affiliated islands, and recognized Qi's legal right to own Timor Island.With the permission of the East India Company, Qi State can establish necessary commercial bases in the East Indies region, and can also station armed personnel to protect the safety of its subjects;
1650. The State of Qi respected the special interests of the East India Company in the entire East Indies, and promised not to change the status quo of the control of the Spice Islands. Before January 1, 31, it withdrew from Middelburg (now Kaila on the southwest coast of Seram Island, Indonesia) Tu City), Gude Fort (Ternate City, Ternate Island, Indonesia), Fort Korn (now Tidore Island, Indonesia), Oranburg (now Leve City, Obi Island, Indonesia) and other places occupied during the war The Indian company's territorial stronghold is handed over to the other party;
[-]. The two sides open their own strongholds and markets within their spheres of influence to each other, and promise to provide necessary supplies and stopovers for each other's passing ships (with the permission of the port of call).

[-]. The contracting parties undertake to stop funding all rebellious local forces and rioting forces in each other's territories and areas under their control.

[-]. Both parties should pay import and export taxes and rates for all matters related to trade and commerce, which should be negotiated and announced in advance by the parties, and there is no need for additional collection;

[-]. Both parties have the obligation to ensure the property and personal safety of the other party's subjects in their respective territories. If they violate the laws of the other party, they must be tried in accordance with the law under the witness of the officials of the representative office of the other party.

[-]. Both contracting parties have the right to establish firms, warehouses, and other types of commercial facilities in the other party's territory and sphere of influence. Both parties must not deliberately obstruct, and have the obligation to ensure the safety of the other party's property and personnel;
[-]. When a contracting party is in a state of war with a third party, the other contracting party must strictly observe neutrality.At the same time, the contracting parties shall not enter into agreements of an alliance nature with third parties against each other.

[-]. This agreement is valid for ten years. After the expiration, if there is no objection from both parties, it will be automatically renewed for ten years.

After the "Jianye Peace Treaty" was signed, Governor Delin returned to Batavia with his people, and first submitted the peace treaty to the Indian Affairs Committee for consideration. At the same time, he wrote a long letter with a copy of the "Peace Treaty" The fleet was brought back to the mainland of the Netherlands and delivered to the company's board of directors (17-member committee) for approval.

(End of this chapter)