Carte de l’Ile de Java Partie Occidentale, Partie Orientale…

The heart of the Dutch East Indies during the early 18th century.

This gorgeous map of Java and the southern coast of Sumatra presents a wonderfully detailed overview of the Dutch colonies during the first few decades of the 18th century. Pictorial topography gives the audience a stunning visual impression of the island’s mountainous terrain, with small vignettes of elephants and other animals scattered amid the valleys.

Precious spices like nutmeg, mace, and cloves were gathered from trees in the numerous forests, while rice plantations (champs de ris) fed the local inhabitants and slave laborers. An inset map in the lower left shows the fortified city of Batavia (modern-day Jakarta), the colonial capital and headquarters of the Dutch East India Company.

The Dutch East India Company (VOC) established its presence in the East Indies (today’s Indonesia) in the early 17th century, primarily driven by the lucrative spice trade. Employing a combination of military force, strategic alliances with local rulers, and the establishment of fortified trading posts, the VOC gradually gained political and territorial control in key regions, such as Java, Sumatra, and the Moluccas. By the 1720s, the VOC had effectively secured its dominance through a network of trading outposts and a system of indirect rule, leveraging local leaders to maintain their influence over the spice-producing territories.

The map was published in Paris around 1720 as part of Henri Abraham Chatelain’s important Atlas Historique. This monumental seven-volume set was first issued in Amsterdam between 1705 and 1720, but was re-printed in numerous subsequent editions. The scholarly work offers a nuanced synthesis of geography, cosmography, history, religion, ethnology, and political science that provides fascinating contemporary details through the inclusion of descriptive text, maps, charts, diagrams, and illustrations.

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