British-Dutch Treaty of 1824
The British-Dutch Treaty of 1824 (also London Treaty ; English Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 ) was a treaty between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of the United Netherlands , which was supposed to regulate trade in Southeast Asia .
The contract also served to clarify outstanding questions from the previous contract of 1814 .
It was signed on March 17, 1824 in London by Hendrik Fagel and Anton Reinhard Falck for the Netherlands and George Canning and Charles Watkin Wynn for the United Kingdom.
history
The aim of the treaty was to resolve some of the problems that had arisen from the British occupation of Dutch possessions during the Napoleonic Wars . It was also about trading rights that had existed between the partners on the Spice Islands for centuries . The establishment of the British trading post in Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 increased tensions between the two states. The Dutch were of the opinion that the contract concluded between Raffles and the Sultan of Johore was invalid because the Sultanate was under the influence of the Netherlands. Because of the questions about the Dutch commercial rights in the British and the earlier Dutch possessions, there were repeated disputes between Batavia and Calcutta . In 1820, English merchants with interests in Southeast Asia initiated talks to clarify the situation.
The first talks between Canning and Fagel took place on July 20, 1820. The Dutch were adamant about the British abandonment of Singapore . In fact, Canning was poorly informed about exactly how Singapore had come under British possession. Initially, there were agreements on less controversial issues, such as the right of free passage and the fight against regional piracy . The discussions were suspended on August 5th and only resumed in 1823, when the British recognized the economic importance of Singapore. On December 15, 1823, new negotiations began, this time revolving around the recognition of the mutual spheres of influence. After seeing that Singapore's growth could not be stopped, the Dutch now pushed for redress for the abandoned claims north of the Strait of Malacca and its colonies in India in the form of recognition of its claims to areas south of the Strait and in the UK Bengkulu Province .
The final treaty was signed on March 23, 1824 and ratified by Great Britain on April 30 and the Netherlands on June 2 .
conditions
The treaty states that the British and Dutch are allowed to trade in the areas of British India , Ceylon and what is now Indonesia and Malaysia on the basis of a most-favored nation clause in compliance with local guidelines. It limited the taxes that could be levied on people and ships. There was also a clause prohibiting both parties from concluding contracts to the detriment of the other side with countries in Southeast Asia. It was also agreed not to hinder or block trade with civilian or military means, but instead to actively fight pirate mischief and not tolerate any hiding places or trade in pirate goods. Neither side was allowed to open new trading posts and offices in Southeast Asia without obtaining the approval of the respective government in Europe.
The Netherlands ceded all possessions on the Indian subcontinent as well as Malacca and the associated rights to the United Kingdom. At the same time the expansion of the British possessions in Singapore was tolerated. In return, the Dutch received their trading post in Benkulu on Sumatra from the British . In addition, the British decided not to set up new posts south of the Singapore Strait, in particular on Batam , Bintan , Karimun or the Lingga Islands .
All transfers of rights and possessions were to be made by March 1, 1825.
Effects
The British-Dutch Treaty of 1824 roughly divided Southeast Asia into two parts, called the British East Indies and the Dutch East Indies . The successor states are the current states of Malaysia and Indonesia , whose current borders roughly correspond to the borders of the British and Dutch spheres of influence.
The contract came at a time when the influence of the British East India Company was declining and that of the sole traders in Britain was increasing. The subsequent upturn in Singapore, largely due to its role as a free port , did not detract from this and can be seen as an effect of the treaty of 1824.
literature
- Anthony Webster: Gentlemen Capitalists: British imperialism in Southeast Asia . New York: Tauris Academic Studies. ISBN 1-86-064171-7 .