Institution

Dutch East India Company

Also known as VOC, Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie

The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was a chartered trading company founded in 1602, with powers to wage war, make treaties and govern territory in Asia. It was the main instrument of the Dutch Empire in the East Indies, displaced the Portuguese Empire from much of the spice trade and served as a model and rival for the English East India Company of the British Empire.

Dutch East India Company
Image: Himasaram · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 13 profiles

British EmpireFoundationDutch EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, DeclinePortuguese EmpireDeclineZand EmpireSocioeconomyDutch RepublicSocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryAyutthaya KingdomSocioeconomyLan XangSocioeconomyLater Le dynastySocioeconomyJohor SultanateMilitaryMataram SultanateMilitary, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryRestored Toungoo KingdomSocioeconomyDutch East IndiesFoundation, SummaryCape ColonyFoundation

Mentioned in 11 state histories

Dutch CoromandelDutch East India Company territoriesDutch SuratteDutch FormosaDutch BengalDutch MauritiusDutch CeylonDutch Cape ColonyDutch MalabarDutch Delagoa BaySwellendam Republic

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Dutch East India Company. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-east-india-company
MLA
“Dutch East India Company.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-east-india-company. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Dutch East India Company.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-east-india-company.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Dutch East India Company’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-east-india-company (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻