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The Banda Islands are a small collection of tiny islands near the eastern end of Indonesia. In the late 16th century through the 1850s, they were the primary source of [[nutmeg]] and mace in the world and became the site of extensive fighting between [[VOC|Dutch]] and [[English East India Company|English]] forces.

The Banda Islands are a small collection of tiny islands near the eastern end of Indonesia. In the late 16th century through the 1850s, they were the primary source of [[nutmeg]] and mace in the world and became the site of extensive fighting between [[VOC|Dutch]] and [[English East India Company|English]] forces.

Dutch-British fighting over the islands continued for nearly a century, from [[1585]] to [[1667]]. As part of efforts to secure Dutch control over the nutmeg trade, in [[1620]] Dutch Governor-General [[Jan Pieterzoon Coen]] commanded Dutch forces (incl. a number of hired Japanese mercenaries) to massacre, enslave, or expel most of the inhabitants of the islands, some 15,000 people. Only some 1,000 islanders survived, becoming forced labor or slaves for the Dutch East India Company, which formally took control of the islands the following year, in [[1621]].  

Dutch-British conflict over control or access to the islands continued for nearly a century, from [[1585]] to [[1667]]. The Dutch East India Company (VOC, est. [[1602]]) concluded a treaty with Banda Island elders in [[1605]] for mutual protection - that local elders would offer "care and protection" to Dutch agents in the islands and that the Dutch would defend the islands against hostile outsiders. However, when the Dutch attempted to build a fortress on the island in [[1609]], exerting some stronger power and claim over the islands, locals responded with force, including killing a Dutch admiral.<ref name=benton86>Lauren Benton and Adam Clulow, "Empires and protection: making interpolity law in the early modern world," ''Journal of Global History'' 12 (2017), 86.</ref> The Dutch responded with violence in turn, and ultimately, in [[1620]] Dutch Governor-General [[Jan Pieterzoon Coen]] commanded Dutch forces (including a number of hired Japanese mercenaries) to massacre, enslave, or expel most of the inhabitants of the islands, some 15,000 people. Only some 1,000 islanders survived, becoming forced labor or slaves for the Dutch East India Company, which formally took control of the islands the following year, in [[1621]]. Local elders were forced to sign a new treaty, declaring that they recognized the VOC as their sovereign and that they would pay loyalty to no other princes or the like.<ref name=benton86/>

The company replaced the local population with enslaved people, colonists, and Company managers and administrators, putting into place intensive plantation practices and seeking to maximize the production of nutmeg and other spices for profitable export. A fortress, Fort Nassau, was built to defend the Dutch operations on the island, both from outside threats and from islander resistance. Forty-four village leaders who opposed the Dutch were executed there very shortly after the 1620-21 conquest of the island.

The company replaced the local population with enslaved people, colonists, and Company managers and administrators, putting into place intensive plantation practices and seeking to maximize the production of nutmeg and other spices for profitable export. A fortress, Fort Nassau, was built to defend the Dutch operations on the island, both from outside threats and from islander resistance. Forty-four village leaders who opposed the Dutch were executed there very shortly after the 1620-21 conquest of the island.