Governor-General Jan Pietersz Coen  1620

With the founding of Batavia in 1619, Coen, Governor- General of the Dutch East Indies, took the first steps towards creating a colonial empire. His pursuit of overseas property ran counter to the aims of the Dutch East India Company’s directors, who were interested solely in establishing trading posts. Coen’s undertaking involved military manoeuvres [br]that wreaked havoc...