MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解
This article examines the intersection of commerce and diplomacy in the early modern encounter between Europe and Asia, focusing on the activities of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Using the 1596 expedition to Banten as a primary case study, the author illustrates how Dutch merchants were compe...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
July 2004
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40011/3852 |
| _version_ | 1877196271234580480 |
|---|---|
| author | Jurrien van Goor |
| author_autocomplete | Jurrien van Goor |
| author_browse | Jurrien van Goor |
| author_facet | Jurrien van Goor Jurrien van Goor |
| author_sort | Jurrien van Goor |
| container_title | Review of Culture |
| container_title_str | Review of Culture |
| container_volume | 11 |
| container_volume_str | 11 |
| description | This article examines the intersection of commerce and diplomacy in the early modern encounter between Europe and Asia, focusing on the activities of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Using the 1596 expedition to Banten as a primary case study, the author illustrates how Dutch merchants were compelled to assume diplomatic roles, adopting titles, rituals, and protocols to navigate Asian political landscapes. The study situates these interactions within a comparative framework, contrasting the emerging European Westphalian system—defined by sovereign hierarchy, reciprocity, and permanent embassies—with the diverse diplomatic traditions of Southeast Asia. Van Goor investigates the extent to which the Dutch adapted to local customs versus maintaining Western diplomatic norms, exploring the frequent tensions between commercial objectives and political representation. By analyzing the "merchant-diplomat" as a central figure, the article argues that diplomatic engagement was not merely an adjunct to trade but a prerequisite for it. The findings highlight the complexity of early modern cross-cultural relations, where the successful negotiation of hierarchy and sovereignty was as vital to the VOC’s interests as the acquisition of commodities. Through this analysis, the author demonstrates how embassies served as a primary illustration of the evolving power dynamics and mutual (mis)understandings between European newcomers and Asian states. |
| first_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| format | Articles |
| genre | Articles |
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| hierarchy_browse | Review of Culture{{{_ID_}}}zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
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| issn | 1682-1106 |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| publishDate | July 2004 |
| publishDateRange | 2004 |
| publishDateSort | 2004 |
| publishPlace | Macau |
| publisher | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| publisherStr | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
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| spelling | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 This article examines the intersection of commerce and diplomacy in the early modern encounter between Europe and Asia, focusing on the activities of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Using the 1596 expedition to Banten as a primary case study, the author illustrates how Dutch merchants were compelled to assume diplomatic roles, adopting titles, rituals, and protocols to navigate Asian political landscapes. The study situates these interactions within a comparative framework, contrasting the emerging European Westphalian system—defined by sovereign hierarchy, reciprocity, and permanent embassies—with the diverse diplomatic traditions of Southeast Asia. Van Goor investigates the extent to which the Dutch adapted to local customs versus maintaining Western diplomatic norms, exploring the frequent tensions between commercial objectives and political representation. By analyzing the "merchant-diplomat" as a central figure, the article argues that diplomatic engagement was not merely an adjunct to trade but a prerequisite for it. The findings highlight the complexity of early modern cross-cultural relations, where the successful negotiation of hierarchy and sovereignty was as vital to the VOC’s interests as the acquisition of commodities. Through this analysis, the author demonstrates how embassies served as a primary illustration of the evolving power dynamics and mutual (mis)understandings between European newcomers and Asian states. Instituto Cultural de Macau Macau Review of Culture Articles July 2004 Jurrien van Goor |
| spellingShingle | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 Jurrien van Goor |
| title | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 |
| title_autocomplete | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 |
| title_full | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 |
| title_fullStr | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 |
| title_full_unstemmed | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 |
| title_short | MERCHANTS AS DIPLOMATS : EMBASSIES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN RELATIONS外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 |
| title_sort | merchants as diplomats : embassies as an illustration of european-asian relations外交家商人：使館成為歐亞關係的圖解 |
| url | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40011/3852 |
| zotero_collection_key | 76L3BRGH |