« Discurso[s] en razón de la Compañía que tienen los rebeldes de Olanda ». Les projets espagnols de réformes économiques en Asie au XVIIe siècle à l’aune du modèle de la VOC

Abstract

« Discurso(s) en razón de la Compañía que tienen los rebeldes de Olanda ». Spanish plans for economic reform in Asia in the 17th century, designed in the light of the model of the Dutch East India Company — When Ferdinand Magellan left Sanlucar de Barrameda in 1519, the obvious goal of the Spanish monarchy was to gain a share in the spice trade of Insulindia, especially in the Moluccas. But the Spaniards only settled in Asia in 1565 and, in the early decades, mainly traded Chinese products rather than fulfilling their dreams of the Spice Islands. After the Flemish arrived in the area and created the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602, the Spaniards finally settled in the Moluccas in 1606 and tried their hands at the clove trade. But the monarchy balked at organizing the trading circuit. Thus, while Asia cost a great deal and yielded little revenue to the Spanish State, the huge profits made by the VOC provided the “Dutch rebels” with funds for their war against Spain. In this context, numerous explanations were given to account for the success of the Netherlands, leading to debates about whether the model of the Dutch East India Company could be adapted to Iberian Asia. This paper outlines the context for such debates, describes their modalities and their concrete consequences in Asia. Jean-Noël Sanchez is associate professor in Spanish and Portuguese studies at the University of Strasbourg and a member of the research team CHER EA 4376.