Cornelis de Houtman - Repercussions

Repercussions

Though the trip was a humanitarian disaster and financially probably just broke even, it was a symbolic victory. It may be regarded as the start of the Dutch colonisation of Indonesia. Within five years, sixty-five more Dutch ships had sailed east to trade. Soon, the Dutch would fully take over the spice trade in and around the Indian Ocean.

On his second trip to the East, for a different company, Cornelis de Houtman and his troops got into a confrontation in Aceh, because of his rude temperament, and soon there were fierce battles with the Acehnese Navy, led by Aceh's female admiral, Keumalahayati (Malahayati) and successfully killed Cornelis de Houtman. Because of that incident, Queen Elizabeth I of England decided to sent an emissary to the Sultan of Aceh, asking permission to enter Malacca Strait.

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