How one of the most profitable companies in history rose to power - Adam Clulow

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Ivana Korom

During the 17th century,

Tokom XVII veka,

the three letters “VOC” formed the world’s most recognizable logo.

tri slova „VOC” su obrazovala najprepoznatljiviji logo na svetu.

These initials belonged to the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie,

Ovi inicijalisu su pripadali Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie,

or the Dutch East India Company—

tj. Holandskoj istočnoindijskoj kompaniji -

widely considered the most profitable corporation ever created.

uopšteno smatranoj najprofitabilnijom korporacijom ikad osnovanom.

Starting in 1602, it cornered the booming spice market

Osnovana 1602. godine, imala je monopol nad sve unosnijim tržištem začina

and pioneered trade routes between Asia and Europe.

i osnovala je trgovinske rute između Azije i Evrope.

But such success came with an overwhelming cost in human life.

Međutim, uz uspeh je išla i nepojmljiva cena u ljudskim životima.

When the Dutch state created the Company,

Kada je Holandija osnovala Kompaniju,

it granted the organization the power to wage war,

dozvolila je organizaciji da ima moć da vodi ratove,

conduct diplomacy, and seize colonies throughout Asia.

bavi se diplomatijom i da grabi kolonije širom Azije.

The Dutch East India Company was intended to make money

Holandska istočnoindijska kompanija je stvorena da zarađuje novac

and battle competing European empires.

i da se bori sa konkurentnim evropskim carstvima.

The Asian market was the largest at the time

Azijsko tržište je bilo najveće u to vreme

and spices were in great demand throughout Europe.

i bila je velika potražnja za začinima širom Evrope.

Nutmeg was among the most precious.

Muškatni oraščić je bio među najdragocenijim.

But it was only cultivated on Indonesia’s Banda Islands.

Međutim, jedino je uzgajan na Bandskim ostrvima u Indoneziji.

If Dutch officials could seize exclusive control over nutmeg,

Ukoliko bi holandski zvaničnici prigrabili apsolutnu kontrolu nad oraščićem,

they'd make their investors rich,

njihovi investitori bi bili bogati,

ensure the Company’s long-term survival

kompaniji bi obezbedili dugoročni opstanak

and deprive their adversaries of the same gains.

i lišili bi suparnike iste dobiti.

However, their plan hinged on the submission of the Bandanese people.

Međutim, njihov plan se oslanjao na potlačivanje Bandanežana.

This was something Company officials, like the ruthless Jan Pieterszoon Coen,

Zvaničnici kompanije, poput nemilosrdnog Jana Pitersuna Kuna

were willing to go to great lengths to ensure.

su bili spremni na sve da osiguraju uspeh.

Home to around 15,000 people,

Dom za oko 15 000 ljudi,

the Banda Islands were composed of village confederations

Bandska ostrva su bila sačinjena od seoskih konfederacija,

controlled by rich men called orang kaya, who were expert traders.

koje su kontrolisali imućni ljudi po imenu orang kaja

koji su bili profesionalni trgovci.

They'd retained their virtual monopoly over nutmeg for centuries,

Vekovima su čuvali svoj praktično monopol nad muškatnim oraščićem,

selling at the highest price to Asian and European merchants.

prodajući ga po najvišoj ceni azijskim i evropskim trgovcima.

When the Dutch East India Company arrived in the early 1600s,

Kada je Holandska istočnoindijska kompanija stigla ranih 1600-ih,

its officials persuaded a group of orang kaya to sign a treaty.

njeni zvaničnici su ubedili grupu orang kaja da potpišu sporazum.

It guaranteed protection in exchange for monopoly rights to their nutmeg.

Garantovao je zaštitu u zamenu za monopolska prava nad oraščićem.

Bandanese leaders had made similar agreements before,

Bandanežanske vođe su i pre sklapale slične dogovore,

but were able to break them without serious consequences.

ali su bili u stanju da ih raskinu bez ozbiljnih posledica.

The Dutch represented a new threat.

Holanđani su predstavljali novu pretnju.

They attempted to build forts to control trade and stop smuggling,

Pokušali su da grade utvrđenja kako bi kontrolisali trgovinu i zaustavili šverc

and insisted that all nutmeg be sold to them at deflated prices.

i insistirali su da se sav oraščić prodaje njima po sniženoj ceni.

Many Bandanese refused and relations continued to deteriorate.

Mnogi Bandanežani su odbili i odnosi su nastavili da se pogoršavaju.

In 1609, a group of villagers ambushed and killed a Dutch admiral and 40 of his men.

Grupa seljana je 1609. iz zasede ubila holandskog admirala i njegovih 40 ljudi.

Over the next decade, tensions escalated as treaties were broken and re-signed.

Tokom naredne decenije, tenzije su eskalirale

dok su sporazumi raskidani i nanovo potpisivani.

The Company and Jan Pieterszoon Coen, its Governor-General,

Kompanija i Jan Pitersun Kun, njen generalni guverner,

began considering new strategies.

počeli su da razmatraju nove strategije.

The Bandanese, one official wrote,

Bandanežani, jedan zvaničnik je pisao

should be “brought to reason or entirely exterminated.”

bi trebalo da se „urazume ili potpuno istrebe.”

Coen himself believed that there could be no trade without war.

Kun je i sam smatrao da nema trgovine bez rata.

In 1621, with the approval of his superiors,

Godine 1621, uz odobrenje svojih nadređenih,

he staged a massive invasion and made Bandanese leaders sign another document.

organizovao je masivnu invaziju

i naterao je bandanežanske vođe da potpišu još jedan dokument.

But this time, the terms didn’t recognize the Bandanese as a sovereign people—

Međutim, ovog puta uslovi nisu prepoznavali

Bandanežane kao nezavisan narod -

they were the Dutch East India Company’s colonial subjects.

bili su kolonijalni podanici Holandske istočnoindijske kompanije.

Soon, Dutch officials claimed they'd detected a conspiracy against them.

Ubrzo su holandski zvaničnici tvrdili da su otkrili zaveru protiv njih.

Coen used this to eliminate further resistance.

Kun je to iskoristio da ukloni dalji otpor.

He ordered his soldiers to torture Bandanese leaders to extract confessions.

Naredio je vojnicima da muče bandanežanske vođe kako bi iznudili priznanja.

Over the following months,

Tokom narednih meseci,

Company troops waged a brutal campaign that decimated the population.

kompanijine trupe su vodile brutalnu kampanju koja je desetkovala populaciju.

Many Bandanese people were starved to death or enslaved

Mnogi Bandanežani su izgladnjivani na smrt ili porobljeni

and sent to distant Dutch colonies.

kao i poslati u udaljene holandske kolonije.

Others jumped from cliffs rather than surrender.

Drugi su skakali sa litica radije nego da se predaju.

Thousands fled, emptying out whole villages.

Na hiljade je pobeglo, ispraznivši celokupna sela.

Some survivors resettled on other islands,

Neki preživeli su se raselili na druga ostrva

where they preserved remnants of Bandanese language and culture.

gde su sačuvali ostatke bandanežanskog jezika i kulture.

When the Company’s violent campaign was over,

Kada je nasilna kampanja kompanije okončana,

the indigenous population had plummeted to less than a thousand,

izvorna populacija je strmoglavo pala na manje od hiljadu ljudi,

most of whom were enslaved.

od kojih je većina bila porobljena.

The Dutch East India Company sliced the islands into plantations

Holandska istočnoindijska kompanija je iscepkala ostrvo na plantaže

and imported an enslaved workforce.

i uvozila je porobljenu radnu snagu.

It was, by many measures, an act of genocide.

Radilo se, po raznim merilima, o genocidu.

By securing this global monopoly over nutmeg,

Obezbedivši globalni monopol nad muškatnim oraščićem,

the Company supercharged its economic development,

kompanija je ostvarila munjevit ekonomski razvoj,

contributing to the Dutch Golden Age.

koji je iznedrio holandsko zlatno doba.

Although Coen faced criticism,

Iako su Kuna kritikovali,

he was celebrated as a national hero well into the 20th century.

slavljen je kao nacionalni heroj dobar deo XX veka.

400 years after the massacre on Banda,

Četiristo godina nakon masakra nad Bandanežanima,

Coen’s statue still stands in the city of Hoorn—

Kunov kip i dalje stoji u gradu Hornu -

despite mounting pressure for its removal.

uprkos sve većem pritisku da se ukloni.

Coen and the Dutch East India Company brought a prized commodity

Kun i Holandska istočnoindijska kompanija su doneli dragocenu robu

under their control and profits soared.

pod svoju kontrolu i profit je skakao.

But they achieved this by violently tearing another society apart.

Međutim, postigli su to nasilno cepajući drugo društvo.