![Sri Lanka: VOC (Dutch East India) Company crest at Galle Fort, Galle. The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in Dutch, literally 'United East India Company') was a chartered Sri Lanka: VOC (Dutch East India) Company crest at Galle Fort, Galle. The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in Dutch, literally 'United East India Company') was a chartered](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2B00WDG/sri-lanka-voc-dutch-east-india-company-crest-at-galle-fort-galle-the-dutch-east-india-company-vereenigde-oost-indische-compagnie-or-voc-in-dutch-literally-united-east-india-company-was-a-chartered-company-established-in-1602-it-was-also-arguably-the-worlds-first-mega-corporation-possessing-quasi-governmental-powers-including-the-ability-to-wage-war-negotiate-treaties-coin-money-and-establish-colonies-statistically-the-voc-eclipsed-all-of-its-rivals-in-the-asia-trade-the-voc-enjoyed-huge-profits-from-its-spice-monopoly-through-most-of-the-1600s-2B00WDG.jpg)
Sri Lanka: VOC (Dutch East India) Company crest at Galle Fort, Galle. The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in Dutch, literally 'United East India Company') was a chartered
![Dutch Possessions in Ceylon: Seventeenth Century Source: KM de Silva, A... | Download Scientific Diagram Dutch Possessions in Ceylon: Seventeenth Century Source: KM de Silva, A... | Download Scientific Diagram](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263446614/figure/fig2/AS:519788621295616@1500938672559/Dutch-Possessions-in-Ceylon-Seventeenth-Century-Source-KM-de-Silva-A-History-of-Sri.png)
Dutch Possessions in Ceylon: Seventeenth Century Source: KM de Silva, A... | Download Scientific Diagram
![The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East Indies (Indonesia) for the Dutch in the lucrative spice trade, which until that point The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East Indies (Indonesia) for the Dutch in the lucrative spice trade, which until that point](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2B02TYA/the-dutch-east-india-company-voc-was-set-up-in-1602-to-gain-a-foothold-in-the-east-indies-indonesia-for-the-dutch-in-the-lucrative-spice-trade-which-until-that-point-was-dominated-by-the-portuguese-it-was-a-chartered-company-granted-a-monopoly-by-the-dutch-government-to-carry-out-colonial-activities-in-asia-including-establishing-colonies-in-ceylon-sri-lanka-and-india-2B02TYA.jpg)
The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East Indies (Indonesia) for the Dutch in the lucrative spice trade, which until that point
![Sri Lanka: 17th century Dutch East India Company manuscript map of the Galle region. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East Sri Lanka: 17th century Dutch East India Company manuscript map of the Galle region. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2B00R74/sri-lanka-17th-century-dutch-east-india-company-manuscript-map-of-the-galle-region-the-dutch-east-india-company-voc-was-set-up-in-1602-to-gain-a-foothold-in-the-east-indies-indonesia-for-the-dutch-in-the-lucrative-spice-trade-which-until-that-point-was-dominated-by-the-portuguese-it-was-a-chartered-company-granted-a-monopoly-by-the-dutch-government-to-carry-out-colonial-activities-in-asia-including-establishing-colonies-in-ceylon-sri-lanka-and-india-2B00R74.jpg)
Sri Lanka: 17th century Dutch East India Company manuscript map of the Galle region. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East
![Sri Lanka: Dutch engraving of a Sinhalese attack on Dutch settlers, 17th century. Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented Sri Lanka: Dutch engraving of a Sinhalese attack on Dutch settlers, 17th century. Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2B00TJH/sri-lanka-dutch-engraving-of-a-sinhalese-attack-on-dutch-settlers-17th-century-sri-lanka-had-always-been-an-important-port-and-trading-post-in-the-ancient-world-and-was-increasingly-frequented-by-merchant-ships-from-the-middle-east-persia-burma-thailand-malaysia-indonesia-and-other-parts-of-southeast-asia-the-islands-were-known-to-the-first-european-explorers-of-south-asia-and-settled-by-many-groups-of-arab-and-malay-merchants-2B00TJH.jpg)