Does the VOC survive if it loses Indonesia during the War of the Spanish Succession?

My incipient TL involves Qing China constructing a large European-style fleet (this has Chinese precedent in the 1630s) and conquering the Dutch East India Company's Southeast Asian territories during the War of the Spanish Succession in response to the Dutch harboring and patronizing large numbers of Ming loyalists. Since the English East India Company had an unofficial truce even with the French East India Company during the war, it seems likely that the Dutch in Asia would have no real support from its European allies. After taking Melaka and Batavia, the Qing do not pursue the Dutch into Ceylon and India.

But I don't know much about the VOC in the Netherlands itself. The VOC died slowly after the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, and this would be even more catastrophic. And since the Republic still has the French to deal with in Europe, would I be correct to say that the VOC soon goes bankrupt and the Dutch dissolve the Company?

If so, what happens then? Will the Dutch state keep the VOC's remaining holdings in southern India and Sri Lanka?
 
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That's an interesting question. I am reading tangentially about that at the moment and it seems that that time period was a time of recession in Europe, which can fragilise the VOC.

Also, I believe that to destroy the VOC, you don't need to conquer all its lands: you just need to break its monopoly.

At this time, the Dutch have been around for quite a while and had time to solidify their alliances, so I imagine they could get some local support from the Indonesian lords, especially if it's to not be under to Chinese yoke instead (the devil you know and all that).
However, if you do some raiding and torch the cloves plantations while stealing enough to create your own plantations, you effectively drain the lifeblood of the VOC whoch will collapse on itself.

The Great Companies were relatively fragile in that they required a steady stream of profit, and the VOC is no exception. If you cut the profit for a couple years, I'm not sure it would survive, especially if you manage to damage the fleet as well. I don't believe the Netherland has the backbone to endure and rise up after that. The EIC could at a latter date but that's because in a worse case scenario, the EIC could rely on revenues from the land and the crown while the Netherland is extremely reliant on the VOC.

If you're really clever, you ally yourself with the French, Portuguese and English and launch a combined attack, or at least a Guerre de Course to occupy their resources and basically create a war of attrition.

This guerre de course can take place around Malacca and Ceylan, but also around Dejima. The Japanese silver was a major commodity, if you cut it that's another big source of revenue lost. Since it happens in a single port, it should be relatively easy to disrupt.
 
Also, I believe that to destroy the VOC, you don't need to conquer all its lands: you just need to break its monopoly.
Certainly, but the nature of the Qing conquest in my TL necessitates territorial conquest; the Manchus need fortified bases from which to control the activities of increasingly numerous Han Chinese traders in Southeast Asia (overseas subversion of merchants was considered a plausible threat to the empire by the Qing emperors) as well as possibly acquiring Java, a potentially immense source of rice. The Kangxi emperor was quite concerned about Chinese merchants selling rice overseas since it meant less food at home (this was among the reasons he banned trade with Southeast Asia for the five last years of his reign), and it stands to reason that he would be very welcoming of the reverse phenomenon of Chinese merchants buying rice overseas.

At this time, the Dutch have been around for quite a while and had time to solidify their alliances, so I imagine they could get some local support from the Indonesian lords, especially if it's to not be under to Chinese yoke instead (the devil you know and all that).
I take that into account in my TL, but I'd also note that the Chinese have a clear numerical advantage and no technological disparity in my story, and of course an alliance with the Chinese has far more economic benefits (not least free trade, the Qing wouldn't bother with European-style monopolies for most products). The Chinese merchants were also much better regarded than the Dutch, who themselves realized were "deathly hated by all nations."

The Great Companies were relatively fragile in that they required a steady stream of profit, and the VOC is no exception. If you cut the profit for a couple years, I'm not sure it would survive, especially if you manage to damage the fleet as well. I don't believe the Netherland has the backbone to endure and rise up after that. The EIC could at a latter date but that's because in a worse case scenario, the EIC could rely on revenues from the land and the crown while the Netherland is extremely reliant on the VOC.
Oh, thanks for this comment. So the VOC does die a terminal death. What about the remaining territories in South India and Ceylon - annexed into the Dutch Republic? Sold to its theoretical ally the EIC?
 
Certainly, but the nature of the Qing conquest in my TL necessitates territorial conquest; the Manchus need fortified bases from which to control the activities of increasingly numerous Han Chinese traders in Southeast Asia (overseas subversion of merchants was considered a plausible threat to the empire by the Qing emperors) as well as possibly acquiring Java, a potentially immense source of rice. The Kangxi emperor was quite concerned about Chinese merchants selling rice overseas since it meant less food at home (this was among the reasons he banned trade with Southeast Asia for the five last years of his reign), and it stands to reason that he would be very welcoming of the reverse phenomenon of Chinese merchants buying rice overseas.
There are ways to "enlist" Chinese merchants into the new order. Priviledges, trying to enforce a specific justice system abroad for registered Chinese merchants (being protected by a consulate of sorts), creation of ambassador titles...

Of course, one base in the region is possible by purchase. Or for example by taking over Champa. It's really not badly located and Champa did ask for it at times. It would at least provide a protection against Viet encroachment.

Oh, thanks for this comment. So the VOC does die a terminal death. What about the remaining territories in South India and Ceylon - annexed into the Dutch Republic? Sold to its theoretical ally the EIC?
Ceylan would probably be able to survive as a territorial entity for a few years. It's hard to say, it really depends on how bad the war would go for the Dutch. Porugal managed to hold on Goa for more than a century after the loss of Brasil after all, and Ceylan does bring money by itself.
Of course the financial system of the Dutch was highly developed, which means that it can be broken too. So, maybe the loss of Indonesa could actually bankrupt the state? If the European allies manage to blockade Ceylan, even partially it causes two problems: no more re-supply of gunpowder and no more resupply of men. We know how bad the climate was for European so if it cannot be regularly replenished, the Dutch hold on Ceylan would probably be overthrown by native rulers after a while. Especially if those native rulers are offered incentives.

Do note I'm not using any source here and just making logical reasoning. For all I know I'm completely talking out of my lesser parts
 
If the VOC goes bankrupt, expect the BEIC to seize or maybe buy their territory. The French might also be able to buy/seize ports themselves...
 
If the VOC goes bankrupt, expect the BEIC to seize or maybe buy their territory. The French might also be able to buy/seize ports themselves...
I've looked into it and I don't think the VOC would go bankrupt IMTL. The Dutch do sell Pulicat to the EIC in 1708, though, both for money and to get them to fight the CIO (the English and French Companies had an unofficial truce during the Spanish Succession war).

The Coromandel textile trade raised 2 million guilders for the VOC, while Ceylon raised slightly more than 800,000. I can't find reliable sources for the rest of Asia, but a 19th-century source claims Malabar raised only 60,000 guilders or such for the Dutch. The VOC did not have monopolistic control over trade in Bengal, Surat, or Persia to the best of my knowledge, so revenues there were probably relatively low. I'll assume, uncharitably, that these areas raised only 200,000 guilders. This is still 3 million guilders from India and Persia. Considering that the VOC somehow survived in the early 1790s when it had over four times its annual revenues in debt and since the idea of the VOC as the supposedly indomitable ruler of the Eastern seas is still very much alive, the Company probably survives. Barely, but still survives.

Then the VOC collapses with a debt thirty times its annual revenues... but that's later on in my timeline.
 
It'll take more than the Chinese to knock out Jan Compagnie!

If they are fighting the Qing, I could see one of their competitors trying to seize ports while the Ditch are otherwise occupied
 
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