THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING SOVEREIGNTY OF DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY (VOC) IN TAIWAN (1624 – 1662)

Abstract

The seventeenth century is marked a special period in the development history of the Taiwan islands. In the process of entering the East Dutch, East India Company established a factory in Formosa (Zeelandia fort). The existence of the Zeealandian factory was quite different from the other Dutch factory in the East. The factory quickly established sovereignty over this new land, making Taiwan its first colony. Therefor, the Zeelandia factory was the second most profitable factory in Asia (after Japan), contributing to the Dutch success in the Inter - Asian trade network. Based on the methodology of history – logic, this paper analyzed the policies of the Zeelandia factory in establishing the sovereignty of the Zeelandia factory in Taiwan. The results of the paper had confirmed the role of the Dutch in promoting the development of Taiwan's history.