Picture 1: Cornelis Haga, by an anonymous painter from the Dutch Republic, c. 1645. The painting is privately owned and in the collection of the Mauritshuis in Den Haag.
|
Introduction
When you think about The Force Awakens, you don't think right away about Cornelis Haga. You think about the new Star Wars movie where the Force also Awakens. In the early seventeenth century this was also the case with the Dutch in the Levant. They were newcomers on the market since the end of the sixteenth century and created a lasting Force until the end of the eighteenth century. Cornelis Haga was sent by the States-General of the Dutch Republic to forge diplomatic relations between the Republic and the Ottoman Empire. The main goal of the Dutch was trade, while the Ottomans tried to establish a political collaboration. The States-General wanted to have a larger share of the trade in the Levant and therefore needed better trading privileges with the Ottomans. The Turks in exchange wanted a political ally in the war against Spain. When Cornelis Haga travelled to Constantinopel (the capital of the Ottomans), in 1611, a truce (Twaalfjarig Bestand) was in effect between the Republic and Spain. So the Ottomans were investing in the future, when the truce came to an end. It was the network of Cornelis Haga that created a positive flow in the relationship between the Turks and the Dutch. With his network he succeeded in getting the capitulations for his country and set up a branch of consulates in the Levant to stimulate the trade. The main question is then: how did he do this and what were the results, when he came to Constantinopel in the early seventeenth century? |
The Force has also another meaning in this research. The traditional way to look at the Mediterranean was as a spent Force. It did not had the vitality and energy that the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean had after they were opened at the end of the fifteenth century. It could not keep up with the New World and faraway lands. But, to look at it in another way, you can see that the Mediterranean is adapting itself in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The Italian states were reshaping themselves and were forged into the larger trade network of Europe. The new players on the market were the English, Dutch and Germans. To use the network theory you can see that the Mediterranean was just as important as the newly discovered lands. The network of Cornelis Haga brought him the success he needed and shows that the Dutch considered the Levant and therefore the Mediterranean as very important.
Cornelis Haga was a Dutch ambassador who already had been in Constantinopel before. He travelled in 1601 to the city, where he met a couple of important people that he would need in the future. The States-General wanted to bring a ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, but this was declined in 1604. Later on in 1610 a invitation of Halil Pasha, the grand admiral of the Turkish fleet, opened the way for the Dutch in the Levant. This was because the Ottomans needed a ally against Spain and the admiral heard of the VOC exploits in the Indian Ocean. Cornelis Haga was suited for this mission, because he had been there before.
When Cornelis came to the city he was introduced to a lot of people of the diplomatic world. Halil Pasha was the one who introduced him to the most important and influential persons. One of them was Paolo Antonio Bon. He was a dragoman and helped Cornelis in Constantinopel. A dragoman was someone who helped you in the relations with other nations and translated documents of political nature. |
Picture 2: Arrival of Cornelis Haga in Constantinopel in 1612. He is welcomed by admiral Halil Pasha. Painted by an anonymous painter. Collection also unknown.
|
Picture 3: Audience by ambassador Cornelis Calkoen at sultan Ahmed III in 1727 by Jean-Baptiste Vanmour. The entourage was practicly the same during the first audience of Cornelis Haga in 1612.
Picture 4: The monogram of sultan Ahmed I above the capitulations, 1612.
|
To get the capitulations for the Republic, he needed to be on good terms with the sultan. Capitulations are a long list of articles which benefit both parties on economic and political terms. Halil Pasha helped Cornelis to receive the requirements, like gifts and a letter of the States-General. During the first ceremony he presented the Dutch gifts to the sultan and read a letter in Latin, which was translated in Turkish by the Dragoman. The sultan was very impressed and a couple of days later the negotiations about the capitulations began. These were very important for the western countries, because they were needed for profitable trade. Next to that, the Dutch had the privilege to establish consulates in the Ottoman Empire. For Cornelis Haga, this was the moment to expand Dutch trading in the Levant. He founded consulates in Izmir, Scio, Aleppo and Alexandria. There were also a lot of consulates on the Greek archipelago, but these were submissive to the bigger ones. The Dutch merchants had the right to trade in the Levant for a tax of 3%, which was very profitable. This gave them an edge in the trade. Nevertheless, in the beginning it was very hard too increase the income. The expensive livingstyle of Haga did cost a lot of money, just as the gifts and expenses at diplomatic occations. The Dutch merchants did also not use the capitulations in Ottoman ports at first, because the consulcosts were lower with the French and English. A couple of years later this changed, as the Dutch traded under their own flag. Relations between the consuls and Dutch traders improved and this had the effect that the income increased. The Levant became a profitable sector.
|
The beginning of the capitulations begin with the following statement:
''in een keyserlijck auctentijck instrument, met Sijne Majesteits naem in een gouden strick [monogram] geteykent, ende met den eet van Sijne Majesteits daeronder geschreven.''
Cornelis Haga wrote a lot in his memorial and send letters to the States-General. These sources formed the foundation of this research and made up his network. His memorial and letters were sent to the Republic to be used by the States-General and to justify his actions. Cornelis wrote in his first years in Constantinopel many letters to keep track of his progress and achievements. All these sources are taken by Heeringa in his complete account of: Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van den Levantschen handel (1590-1826). A book that also helped in this research of Haga was Hans van der Sloot - Cornelis Haga 1578-1654: Diplomaat & Pionier in Istanboel. This was a very interesting and helpful book for the years of Haga in Constantinopel. It also clarified with whom Haga discussed matters of interest and whom he liked to talk. These persons of interest are the ones that matter in a network and can make a difference. The network of Haga contributed to the rise of the Dutch trade.
Conclusions
In the end it was his network that helped him to get his success. Like I already wrote, the most important man of his network was Halil Pasha. This man introduced him to the most important people and helped the Dutch to get their capitulations. It was of course also self-interest, because the Ottomans also profited from the new developed relationship: economic and political. In the end Cornelis Haga was very influential and important. His diplomatic skills had brought him much successes which contributed to the Golden Age in the United Provinces. The quote under this describes maybe the Mediterranean at its best. The Republic was more interested, in the early seventeenth century, in the Mediterranean than the Eastern Indies.
In the end it was his network that helped him to get his success. Like I already wrote, the most important man of his network was Halil Pasha. This man introduced him to the most important people and helped the Dutch to get their capitulations. It was of course also self-interest, because the Ottomans also profited from the new developed relationship: economic and political. In the end Cornelis Haga was very influential and important. His diplomatic skills had brought him much successes which contributed to the Golden Age in the United Provinces. The quote under this describes maybe the Mediterranean at its best. The Republic was more interested, in the early seventeenth century, in the Mediterranean than the Eastern Indies.
'De vaert ende handel in Levanten is soo groot ende treffelyck, dat sy den Oostindische passeert. [...] Men sal daer meer gelts in connen imployeren dan in die Indische vaert.'
Further reading:
Bulut, Mehmet. Ottoman-Dutch economic relations in the early modern period 1571-1699. Hilversum: Uitgeverij Verloren, 2001.
Groot, A.H. de. The Ottoman Empire and The Dutch Republic: A history of the Earliest Diplomatic Relations 1610-1630. Leiden/Istanboel: Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologisch Instituut, 1978.
Heeringa, Klaas, ed. Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van den Levantschen handel 1590-1826. Rijksgeschiedkundige Publicatiën, 1910-1966.
Sloot, Hans van der. Cornelis Haga 1578-1654 diplomaat & pionier in Istanbul. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Boom, 2012.
Bulut, Mehmet. Ottoman-Dutch economic relations in the early modern period 1571-1699. Hilversum: Uitgeverij Verloren, 2001.
Groot, A.H. de. The Ottoman Empire and The Dutch Republic: A history of the Earliest Diplomatic Relations 1610-1630. Leiden/Istanboel: Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologisch Instituut, 1978.
Heeringa, Klaas, ed. Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van den Levantschen handel 1590-1826. Rijksgeschiedkundige Publicatiën, 1910-1966.
Sloot, Hans van der. Cornelis Haga 1578-1654 diplomaat & pionier in Istanbul. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Boom, 2012.
May the force be with you. G.J.Z.
Cover photo: A wide view of the city Constantinopel and the surroundings, painted from the Dutch ambassy at Pera. At the left you see the Asian continent and on the right the European part with on the hill the famous Topkapi Sarayi palace. Painted by Jean Baptiste Vanmour c. 1720-1737. In the collection of the Rijksmuseum te Amsterdam. Acquired via: www.wikipedia.com
Picture 1: www.wikipedia.com
Picture 2: http://www.isgeschiedenis.nl/archiefstukken/de-handel-stond-altijd-voorop/
Picture 3: www.wikipedia.com
Picture 4: www.wikipedia.com
Picture 1: www.wikipedia.com
Picture 2: http://www.isgeschiedenis.nl/archiefstukken/de-handel-stond-altijd-voorop/
Picture 3: www.wikipedia.com
Picture 4: www.wikipedia.com