Glimpses of Dutch Micro-Slaveryfrom Cochin in the Indian Ocean World

Abstract

This paper delves into a series of historical incidents involving both successful and unsuccessful attempts at enslavement and the slave trade within the princely state of Cochin in Kerala, during the period when the Dutch East Indian Company held a degree of authority. These occurrences are meticulously documented in the unpublished government archives of the region. The paper is structured into three sections, each focusing on distinct aspects of this complex history. The initial section presents cases that highlight the presence of African slaves within Dutch Cochin. The second section conducts a detailed analysis of select documents, emphasizing the power dynamics at play during these events. The third section places three instances of enslavement within the broader context of publicly available information. The paper underscores the underappreciated extent of enslavement in Kerala, revealing it as a widespread practice that implicated individuals from all social strata to varying degrees. Furthermore, it illuminates how acts related to slavery were intricately entangled with power struggles, illustrating how the slave trade acted as a gauge for assessing the fluctuations in imperial influence. Ultimately, this study posits that the records of slavery shed light on the more obscure episodes of Kerala’s historical narrative.