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The Danish Asiatic Company, 1732–;1772

1960; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 8; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03585522.1960.10411426

1750-2837

Kristof Glamann,

Historical Economic and Social Studies

Abstract The reorganisation of Danish commerce with the East Indies which was carried through in 1732 by the foundation of the Asiatic Company (Asiatisk Kompagni) differed in many respects from previous attempts to reorganize this trade. The main difference lay in its success. Not only was Copenhagen's overseas trade immediately revived but as a result of the foundation of the new company a contact was established between Denmark and Asia of a much more regular character than that which had existed in the seventeenth and very early eighteenth century. In contrast to previous arrangements, direct voyages to China constituted the predominant feature of the new traffic. The very foundation of the company indicated that the Dutch were no longer capable of putting effective obstacles in the way of Danish commercial enterprise. It is true that Holland—together with England and France—succeeded in blocking the plans put forward in 1728–9 by the Amsterdam merchant Josias van Asperen for the foundation of an East India trading company at Altona, on the Elbe, which was to operate as a branch of the Danish company. The Dutch, having just succeeded in getting the Belgian Os tend Company dissolved, were on their guard against new competitors. They also attempted to prohibit the insurance in the Netherlands of Danish ships trading to China. The Altona project had to be abandoned, but trade to the East Indies from Copenhagen could not be prevented. Fears that the dissolved Ostend Company would reappear in Danish disguise proved to be unfounded. A few employees of the Ostend Company did indeed go into Danish service–;one of them, the supercargo Pieter van Hurck, later became a member of the Board of Directors of the Asiatic Company–but a transfer of capital and plant to Danish territory was out of the question. The Asiatic Company also differed from previous Danish East India companies in its system of government. Its capital was protected and favoured more effectively than before, and a hitherto unknown freedom to arrange its own organisation was conferred on it.