Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T04:55:26.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

British ‘Country’ Trade and Local Trade Networks in the Thai and Malay States, c. 1680–1770

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

D. K. Bassett
D. K. Bassett
Affiliation:
University of Hull
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The purpose of this paper is to supplement existing knowledge of British and Asian ‘country’ trade to selected parts of Southeast Asia by drawing upon British private papers and the records of Fort St George, Madras. The 1680s marked the peak of international trade in Siamunder king Narai before the wars and revolution there of 1687–88. The decade also saw the elimination of the last great independent entrepot, Banten, on the Java Sea in 1682, as well as the final, ultimately-futile, Dutch efforts to control the Malayan tin-trade north of Perak. The Dutch also began in 1685 and 1689 their intermittent attempts to monopolize key commodities in the Johor–Riau–Lingga sultánate at the southern end of Malacca Strait. In one sense, given Dutch success or at least pretensions, the region from Pegu and Tenasserim–Mergui through certain Malay ports and Aceh to Ayudhya and Tongking constituted what might loosely be called the free-trade zone of maritime Southeast Asia. It was also one in which, with the exception of Perak after 1745, the indigenous monarchies retained complete or extensive independence from European supervision. Into this zone, with occasional ventures to the smaller Indonesian ports, British country traders sailed for over a century, from Bowrey and Dampier in the 1680s to Light and Scott in the 1770s. What were the principal features of the markets they frequented?

Type
Articles
Information
Modern Asian Studies , Volume 23 , Issue 4 , October 1989 , pp. 625 - 643
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Fort St George Diary 1697 (Madras, 1921), p. 102.Google Scholar

2 Marsden, W., The History of Sumatra (London, 1811), pp. 447–54.Google Scholar

3 Surat Factory Records, vol. 105, f. 191 (IOLR).

4 Ibid., f. 188. Gray hoped that the Java pepper importers would buy his Ahmadabad goods, ‘but we finde it is not our Clothing they come for, but that brought from ye Cling [Coromandel] Country’.

5 Bowrey, , A Geographical Account of the Countries round the Bay of Bengal, 1669 to 1679 (ed. SirTemple, R. C.) (Cambridge, 1905), pp. 261, 265–6.Google Scholar

6 Ibid., pp. 287–93; Voyages and Discoveries by William Dampier (ed. Wilkinson, Clennell) (London, 1931), p. 94.Google Scholar

7 Bowrey, , Geographical Account, pp. 259, 273, 276, 280, 282.Google Scholar

8 Surat Factory Records, vol. 105, ff. 105–6, 109, 189–90; Bowrey, Geographical Account, p. 246.Google Scholar

9 Dutch descriptions of Aceh in the mid-seventeenth century are too numerous to specify but can be found in the printed records of the period such as Dagh Register, Batavia, or Tiele and Heeres, Bouwstoffen.

10 Forrest, Thomas, Voyage to the Mergui Archipelago (London, 1792), pp. 45, 60.Google Scholar

11 Ibid., p. 40; Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 79 (G/35/79), f. 611 (IOLR).

12 Dampier, , Voyages and Discoveries, pp. 90, 94–5.Google Scholar

13 Lockyer, C., An Account of the Trade in India (London, 1711), pp. 34, 37, 72–3, 131.Google Scholar

14 Fort St George Diary 1695 (Madras, 1919), p. 94.Google Scholar

15 Forrest, , Mergui Archipelago, p. 59.Google Scholar

16 For Holloway's report see Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 79, ff. 609–11;Google ScholarDesvoeux' letters are in Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 15; Botham's report is in Home Misc. Series, vol. 219, ff. 597–607.Google Scholar Desvoeux refers to the aversion of the Chinese, Buginese and other foreigners to settle in Aceh‘as they do at Quedah and other Malay Ports’ in SFR, vol. 15, Fort St George Proceedings,25 June 1772, ff. 69–70.Google Scholar

17 Monckton to Madras, 12 Oct. 1772in Fort St George Proceedings of December 1772,Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 15.Google Scholar

18 Ibid., Proceedings of 25 June 1772, ff. 83–4; Forrest, Mergui Archipelago, p. 24.Google Scholar Monckton claimed in 1772 that the Dutch at Malacca charged each Chinese junk sailing northward beyond the port 4,000 Spanish dollars, or £1,000.

19 Lockyer, , Trade in India, p. 246.Google Scholar

20 Coolhaas, W. Ph. (ed.), Generale Missiven van Gouverneurs-Generaal en Raden aan Heren XVII der Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, IV (The Hague, 1971), p. 788.Google Scholar

21 Ibid., p. 780.

22 Dampier, , Voyages and Discoveries, pp. 104–5;Google ScholarCoolhaas, , Generale Missiven, V (1975), pp. 266–8.Google Scholar

23 Dampier, , Voyages and Discoveries, p. 106;Google ScholarLockyer, Trade in India, pp. 38–9.Google Scholar For Soames' letters, see Fort St George Factory Records, vol. 33 (Letters Received), ff. 44–6, 84–5, 99–100.Google Scholar The Fort St George Diary suggests that Somes lived in Aceh in 1696–97, but he was chosen in September 1967 to supervise the Company affairs in West Sumatra because of his long residence among the ‘Malays’ of Aceh and Kedah.

24 Fort St George Diary 1695, pp. 86, 95.Google Scholar

25 For Gary's agreement of 2 Sept. 1660 see Surat Factory Records, vol. 115, ff. 95–7;Google Scholar for procedures at Aceh, see British Library, Add. MS. 34, 123, ff. 28, 30;Google Scholar also Bowrey, Geograpical Account, pp. 300–4;Google ScholarLockyer, Trade in India pp. 35–6, 59–60;Google ScholarDampier, Voyages and Discoveries, p. 94.Google Scholar

26 Forrest, , Mergui Archipelago, pp. 41–2, 47.Google Scholar

27 Fort St George Diary 1695, p. 94.Google Scholar

28 British Library, Add.MS. 34, 123, ff. 28–30, 38.Google Scholar

29 Ibid., f. 41v.

30 Collet Letter Book I, f. 301 (MSS Eur.D 1153/1), IOLR;Google ScholarPitt Papers, British Library, Add. MS. 22,855, ff. 10, 27, 35;Google ScholarScattergood Papers, BL, Add.MS.43, 731, ff. 312, 315, 470, 506;Google ScholarAdd.MS.43, 732, ff. 8–9.Google Scholar

31 Fort St George Diary 1700 (Madras, 1922). pp. 69, 71;Google ScholarFort St George Diary 1704 (Madras, 1928), p. 31.Google Scholar

32 Fort St George Diary 1704, p. 31.Google Scholar

33 Ibid., pp. 31–3, 43; Log of Stretham 31 May 1704, IOLR, Marine Records L/MAR/B, vol. 311A: ‘we came in heare [Aceh] with a Jack Flagg att mast head we haveing Severall Gentlemen on board sent by ye honorble Company to settle a factory heare’.

34 Fort St George Diary 1702 (Madras, 1923), p. 99;Google ScholarHamilton, Alexander, A New Account of the East Indies (ed. SirFoster, W.) (London, 1930), vol. II. pp. 55–8.Google Scholar

35 Fort St George Diary 1706 (Madras, 1929), pp. 37–9, 45–6;Google ScholarPitt Papers, BL, Add.MS.22,849, ff. 52v, 57, 65v, 67.Google Scholar

36 Fort St George Diary 1706, pp. 45–6.Google Scholar

37 Fort St George Diary 1706 (Madras, 1929), pp. 37, 50;Google ScholarDiary 1714, (Madras, 1929), p. 114.Google Scholar In June 1709 the prospective sultan of Aceh defined former British privileges in his port as one ship each from Madras, Bengal and Surat free of customs duty.

38 Scattergood Papers, BL, Add.MSS.43, 731, f. 212.Google Scholar Some twenty ships, responding to the sultan's invitation, made the voyage from Madras and Bengal, ‘which was the Entire over Setting of each other’. This was ‘the first Season’ of resumed trade.

39 Madras Public Proceedings Range 239, vol. 87, 2 Sept. 1717, ff. 25–26;Google ScholarFort St George Diary 1717 (Madras, 1929), pp. 133, 139.Google Scholar

40 Fort St George Diary 1717, pp. 140, 142, 146, 149, 151.Google Scholar

41 Pitt Letters, BL, Add.MS.22, 851, f. 63.Google Scholar

42 Collet Letter Books II, f. 99, III, f. 17, (MSS. Eur. D.1153/2 and D.1153/3).Google Scholar

43 Fort St George Diary 1695, pp. 60, 116–17;Google ScholarDiary 1697, pp. 27, 61, 84, 102, 106.Google Scholar

44 Fort St George Diary 1693,(Madras, 1918), pp. 47, 71;Google ScholarDiary 1694, (Madras, 1918), pp. 22–4, 52–3, 58;Google ScholarDairy 1696 (Madras, 1921), pp. 74, 79.Google ScholarBy September 1696 Gullock had fled to St Thome to escape his creditors in Madras, to whom he sent not only ‘an unhandsome refuseall’ to return, but even worse ‘a Declaration in Poetry of his resolution of departing from St Thoma’ (p. 106).Google Scholar

45 Fort St George Diary 1693, pp. 108, 114;Google ScholarDiary 1695, p. 81.Google Scholar

46 Fort St George Diary 1699, (Madras, 1922), pp. 51, 58, 66.Google Scholar

47 Fort St George Diary 1705, (Madras, 1928), pp. 151–2;Google Scholar also Madras Public Proceedings, vol. I, ff. 12–13.Google Scholar

48 Fort St George Diary 1699, p. 66.Google Scholar

49 Hamilton, A., New Account, II, pp. 98–101.Google Scholar Hamilton saw Dalgleish as a fellow victim of Collet and Pownev by 1718.

50 Fort St George Diary 1716, (Madras, 1929), pp. 22–3, 27, 34;Google ScholarDiary 1717, pp. 88–9;Google ScholarDiary 1719 (1930), p. 81.Google Scholar

51 Hamilton, , New Account, pp. 97, 105–6;Google Scholarsee also Coolhaas, Generale Missiven, VII (1979), pp. 326, 359.Google Scholar

52 Scattergood Papers, BL, Add.MS.43,732, f. 84.Google Scholar

53 Fort St George Diary 1716, p. 91;Google ScholarHamilton, pp. 106–8.Google Scholar

54 Hamilton, , New Account, p. 114.Google Scholar

55 Collet Letter Book I, ff. 95–6, 103, 186, 100–3, 236, 272 (IOLR, MSS. Eur. D/1153/1).Google Scholar

56 Ibid., f. 203.

57 Fort St George Diary 1713, (Madras, 1929), p. 43.Google Scholar

58 Pitt Papers, BL, Add.MSS.22, 855, f. 35.Google Scholar

59 Scattergood Papers, BL, Add.MSS.43, 730, ff. 365, 377;Google ScholarAdd.MS.43, 731, ff. 14, 69–70, 312, 316, 318–21, 395, 397, 399.Google Scholar

60 Add.MS.43,731, ff. 314, 395, 466–7, 476–9, 494–5, 506.Google Scholar

61 Fort St George Factory Records (Letters Received), vol. 33, ff. 84–5 (IOLR).Google Scholar

62 All listed in Fort St George Diary and Consultation Books.

63 Fort St George Diary 1743, (Madras, 1931), pp. 63, 149;Google ScholarDiary 1749–50 (Madras, 1931), pp. 105, 163.Google Scholar Referred to on the latter occasion as ‘Don Constantino Falcon’ from ‘Tenassery’.

64 Fort St George Diary 1738, (Madras, 1930), p. 83;Google ScholarDiary 1740 (Madras, 1931), p. 76.Google Scholar

65 Fort St George Diary 1735, (Madras, 1936), p. 46;Google ScholarDiary 1739 (Madras, 1930), p. 99.Google Scholar

66 Diary 1739, p. 98.Google Scholar

67 BL, Add.MS.34, 123, ff. 36v, 39, 41v;Google ScholarAdd.MS.22, 848, f. 46;Google ScholarAdd.MS.22, 856, f. 67;Google ScholarAdd.MS.43, 731, f. 255.Google Scholar

68 Fort St George Diary 1737, (Madras, 1930), p. 85.Google ScholarBy May at least 12 ships had arrived from Malacca, Kedah, Phuket and Mergui/Tenasserim at Madras, apart from vessels from Ayudhya and Aceh, so that suitable commodities would not have been abnormally low. See Diary 1738, p. 83,Google ScholarDiary 1739, p. 86,Google Scholar and Diary 1740, p. 76, for Madras tin prices.Google Scholar

69 Diary 1739, p. 86;Google ScholarDiary 1740, pp. 76, 103, 106.Google Scholar

70 Scattergood Papers, BL., Add.MS.43, 730, f. 300,Google ScholarAdd.MS.43, 732, ff. 412–19a.Google Scholar The anonymous author estimated that Surat and Bengal would take 200 tons of tin each at £100 per ton, Coromandel 150 tons at £70–80 per ton, and China as much as could be sent at the same price. British rule at Phuket would attract ‘all the stragling Euripians in India’ and ‘as many Chinamen as you please to permitt’

71 Scattergood Papers, Add.MS.43, 731, ff. 312–13, 316, 412.Google Scholar

72 IOLR, Marine Records, L/MAR/B, vol. 698B.

73 Marine records, L/MAR/B, vol. 355.

74 Ibid.

75 Forrest, , Mergui Archipelago, pp. 39–41.Google Scholar

76 IOLR, Fort St George Public Proc. (Range 240), vol. 27, f. 700.Google Scholar

77 IOLR, Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 15, FSG Proc.25 June 1772, ff. 60–1;Google ScholarSumatra FR, vol. 14, Wyatt to Directors 26 Nov. 1772, para. 51.Google Scholar

78 Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 15, FSG Select Committee Proc.,17 June 1772, ff. 48, 50; 25 June 1772, ff. 56–7.Google Scholar

79 Ibid., vol. 15, 23 Feb. 1772, Monckton's instructions, para. 6, and Desvoeux's instructions, para. 6.

80 Collet Letter Books I (MSS Eur. D 1153/1), f. 322;Google ScholarPitt Papers, Add.MS.22,855, ff. 27, 35;Google ScholarScattergood Papers, Add.MS.43,731, ff. 312, 470, 506.Google Scholar

81 Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 73, Fort Marlborough Consulation, 23 March 1765 (ILOR).Google Scholar

82 Coles–Carter Correspondence, 27 July 1776 (no. 5), in Fort Marborough Cons., 19 Oct. 1772, Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 79; Francis Light to Warren Hastings, from Kedah, 17 Jan. 1772, BL, Add. MS. 29,133, ff. 10v–11.Google Scholar

83 Madras Public Proceedings, vol. 19 (P/240/19), f. 293.Google Scholar

84 Bengal Public Consultations, (Range 1), vol. 38, ff. 1181–2.Google Scholar

85 Coles–Carter Correspondence, as in f.n. 82 above. Thirty chests of opium imported to Riau from the Fortune in Kuala Selangor were expected to drive the opium price down ‘as she [Fortune] could not receive all her returns in Tin’. Coles' owners thought the would have done better to invest partly in wax and cloves.

86 Fort St George Public Consulations, (Range 240), vol. 30, ff. 587–8, 590, vol. 31, ff. 133–4, 160–1.Google Scholar

87 Bassett, D. K., ‘British Trade and Policy in Indonesia 1760–1772’, Bijdragen to de Taal, Land-en Volkenkunde, deel 120 (2) (1964), pp. 207–11.Google Scholar

88 Bengal Public Consultations (Range I), vol. 38, f. 1181.Google Scholar

89 Light to Jourdan, 25 Nov. 1771, in FSG Sel. Comm. Proc.,Feb. 1772, unpaginated, Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 15.Google Scholar

90 Monckton to Ft St George, 13 Aug. 1772, in FSG Proc.,Oct. 1772, Sumatra Factory Records, vol. 15. Also letter of 12 Oct. under Proceedings of Dec. 1772.Google Scholar

91 BL. Add.MS.29, 210, ff. 228v–229. Light's Account of Phuket, c. 1780.Google Scholar

92 Scott to Macartney, 28 Oct. 1785. Straits Settlements Records, vol. 2, ff. 15–18.Google Scholar

93 Smith to Dundas, Calcutta, 27 May 1785. Home Misc. Series, vol 434, f. 118.Google Scholar