Region: Colombo, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)
Bibliography
Primary sources
Baldaeus, Philippus. Naauwkeurige beschryvinge van Malabar en Choromandel, der zelver aangrenzende ryken, en het machtige eyland Ceylon ... Nevens een omstandige en grondigh doorzochte ontdekking en wederlegginge van de afgoderye der Oost-Indische heydenen. Amsterdam: Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge en Johannes van Someren, 1672. Electronic Source
Philippus Baldaeus (1632-1672) was a Dutch minister who documented the culture, language, and everyday life of the Tamil people, living in the north of Sri Lanka, during his travels to Ceylon between 1655 and 1666. Baldaeus was part of the Dutch invading forces under van Goen and was sent to Ceylon to spread Protestantism. While this account is usually studied in relation to Dutch attempts at spreading Christianity, it did include illustrations. Source: de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988. Most frequently cited English translation: A True and Exact Description of the most Celebrated East-India Coasts of Malabar and Coromandel, as also of the Isle of Ceylon. Translated by Pieter Brohier. Introduction by S. D. Saparamadu. Dehiwala: The Ceylon Historical Journal, 1960. [Ashley Mason]
Behr, Johann von. Diarium, oder Tage-Buch, über dasjenige, so sich Zeit einer neun-jährigen Reise zu Wasser und Lande, meistentheils in Dienst der vereingten geoctroyrten Niederländischen Ost-Indianischen Compagnie, besonders in denselbigen Ländern täglich begeben und zugetragen. Jena: In Verlegung Urbani Spaltholtzens, 1668.
Johann von Behr (1615-1692) was a German traveler who witnessed and described trade interactions in the Dutch colonies in the East Indies. He travelled to Batavia, Goa, Ceylon, and Persia. Upon returning to the Netherlands, he published his travel journal, which was reprinted several times. [Ashley Mason]
Bruyn, Cornelis de. Reizen over Moskovie door Perzië en Indië. Verrykt met 300 konstplaten. Amsterdam: 1711.
Cordiner, James. A description of Ceylon containing an account of the country, inhabitants and natural productions. 2 vols. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, Paternoster Row, and A. Brown, 1807. Electronic Source: Vol. 1 Vol. 2
James Cordiner was a chaplain in Ceylon from 1799-1804. While this is technically after the Dutch had lost Ceylon to England, Cordiner’s account can be understood as a work that sheds light on the transition of Ceylon from Dutch rule to English. He provides many observations concerning the lingering Dutch presence, and illustrations are included. [Ashley Mason]
Frick, Christoph. Ost-Indianische Räysen und Krieges-Dienste, oder eine aussführliche Beschreibung, was sich Zeit solcher, nemlich von A. 1680 biss A. 1685, so zur See, als zu Land, in offentlichen Treffen und Scharmüzeln, in Belagerungen, Stürmen und Eroberungen… . Ulm: Mathew Wagner, 1692. Electronic Source
This account by Christoph Frick (Christoph Frikens, Christopher Fryke, etc.), a volunteer with the Dutch East India Company, serves as an observation of trade, administration, and everyday life on his journey to the East Indies. His travels began aboard a ship that sank off the Cape of Good Hope. Obviously, Frick survived and went on to visit Batavia, Sri Lanka, Japan, Bali, Burma, India, and Siam. This was first published in German, and these early editions have engraved illustrations of some of the interesting experiences of the author, including seeing strange animals and human interactions. [Ashley Mason]
Haafner, Jacob. Lotgevallen op eene reize van Madras over Tranquebaar naar het eiland Ceylon. Haarlem: 1806.
Haafner, Jacob, and Christiaan Matthias. Reize te voet door het eiland Ceilon. Amsterdam: 1810.
Herport, Albrecht. Eine kurtze Ost-Indianische Reisz-Beschreibung. Bern: Sonnleitner, 1669.
Albrecht Herport (1641-1680) was a Swiss painter who traveled to the East Indies and is best known for having witnessed the expulsion of the Dutch from Taiwan. However, he also visited Ceylon, from about 1664 to 1668, and his descriptions of the island at that time are considered historically significant. In addition, the resulting book contained a series of lavish illustrations, engraved by Conrad Meyer from sketches by Wilhelm Stettler Herport, which include scenes from of Ceylon. The images represent an interesting combination of seemingly factual observation with some fictionalized and exoticizing elements. Source: de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988. [Ashley Mason]
Heydt, Johann Wolfgang. Allerneuester geographisch – und topographischer Schauplatz von Afrika und Ost-Indien. Wilhelmsdorf: 1744.
Knox, Robert. An historical relation of the island Ceylon. London: 1681. Electronic Source
Robert Knox (1641-1720) was a traveler to Ceylon in 1660 when he and 17 others were taken prisoner by the kingdom of Kandy. Knox stayed in various villages for eighteen years before escaping in 1679. He wrote his account on the way home and, despite his eventful stay in Ceylon, made at least five more trips to the East. Knox’s account reflects his intimate knowledge of Ceylon. Source: de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988. [Ashley Mason]
----------. ‘t Eyland Ceylon in sijn binnenste. Translated by S. de Vries. Utrecht: 1692.
Pieters, Sophia, ed. and trans. Memoirs and Instructions of Dutch Governors, Commandeurs, … 1656 to 1665 . Colombo: H. C. Cottle, 1908. Electronic Source
This is a collection of writings by the Dutch governors of Ceylon, usually written as instructions to their successors. These accounts are primarily historical and political in nature, and therefore are not listed separately by each governor. However, they do represent important documentary evidence of the type of exchange occurring during the Dutch colonial period. Included are writings by Anthony Paviljoen , Rijckloff van Geons, Thomas van Rhee, Hendrik Zwarrdecroon, Cornelis Joan Simons, Hendrick Becker, Gustaff Willem Baron van Imhoff, and Jacob Christiaan Pielat. [Ashley Mason]
Pybus, John. The Pybus Embassy to Kandy, 1762. Edited by P. E. P. Deraniyagala. Transcription and notes by R. Raven-Hart. Colombo: Govt. Press Ceylon, 1958. Electronic Source
Saar, Johann Jacob. De Reisbeschryving van Joh. Jac. Saar naar Oost Indien. Amsterdam: 1671. Electronic Source
----------. Johann Jacob Saars Ost-Indianische Funfzehen- Jährige Kriegs-Dienst. Nuremberg: 1662. Electronic Source
Johann Jacob Saar (c. 1626-1661?) was an officer in the VOC who travelled throughout the East Indies. He visited Ceylon in 1647, returned in 1650, and stayed on to see witness the siege of Colombo in 1655-1656. Saar had supposedly kept a journal, but it was lost at sea. Therefore, the resulting descriptions are written from memory. The first publication was an oblong volume consisting of a portrait of the author, a frontispiece, and 15 plates. Subsequent editions did not always contain all of the original illustrations. Source: de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988. [Ashley Mason]
----------. Ost-Indianische Funfzehen Jährige Kriegs-dienste und wahrhafte Beschreibung, was sich zeit solcher funfzehen Jarh, von 1644 bis 1659 zur See und zu Land …mit Ihm und andern seinen cameraden begeben habe, am allermeisten auf der groszen …Insul Ceilon. 2nd ed. Nurnberg: 1672. Electronic Source
Schouten, Wouter. Oost-Indische Voyagie. Amsterdam: meurs en van Someren, 1676. Electronic Source
Wouter Schouten (1638-1704) was a doctor for the VOC who travelled to Batavia, Ceylon, and other parts of the East Indies. The first edition of his account contained an engraved title-page and portrait, 43 copper-plate engravings, and the title-page states that these were made from drawings done by the author. Subsequent editions did not always maintain the original illustrations. Source: de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988. [Ashley Mason]
Schweitzer, Christopher. Journal und Tagebuch seiner Sech jähriger Ost-Indiansicher Reise. Tübingen: 1680. Electronic Source
Christopher Schweitzer was a German who became a soldier with the VOC. He travelled to Batavia, Java, and Ceylon. He wrote an account of his service in the VOC which was translated into Dutch and English. The original publication was illustrated with engravings after Schweitzer’s own drawings. Source: de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988. [Ashley Mason]
Spilbergen, Joris van. Historiael Journael… . Delft: Floris Balthasar, 1605. Electronic Source Annotation
This account comes from a travel log maintained by the Dutch naval officer Joris van Spilbergen and his crew. It was first published in 1605 and three reprints were produced, which all have fourteen plates engraved by the publisher, Floris Balthasar, which are likely based on original drawings that went along with the travel log. Source: de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988. [Ashley Mason]
Taay wan Wezel, Cornelis. “A pertinent account and detailed description of the character, nature, coitus, and production of elephants in the great island of Ceylon, with a further sketch of how those beasts are tracked, chased, and captured in the wild forests; and also how they are stalled and tamed and sold on account of the hon. Dutch East India Co. … 1713.” Edited by F.H. de Vos. Journal of the Ceylon branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 25, no. 49 (1898): 176-200.
Valentijn, François. Oud En Nieuw Oost-Indiën : Vervattende Een Naaukeurige En Uitvoerige Verhandelinge Van Nederlands Mogentheyd in Die Gewesten, Benevens Eene Wydluftige Beschryvinge Der Moluccos, Amboina, Banda, Timor En Solor, Java, En Alle De Eylanden Onder Dezelve Landbestieringen Behoorende : Het Nederlands Comptoir Op Suratte, En De Levens Der Groote Mogols : Als Ook Een Keurlyke Verhandeling Van 't Wezentlykste Dat Men Behoort Te Weten Van Choromandel, Pegu, Arracan, Bengale, Mocha, Persien, Malacca, Sumatra, Ceylon, Malabar, Celebes of Macassar, China, Japan, Tayouan of Formosa, Tonkin, Cambodia, Siam, Borneo, Bali, Kaap Der Goede Hoop En Van Mauritius : Te Zamen Dus Behelzende Niet Alleen Eene Zeer Nette Beschryving Van Alles, Wat Nederlands Oost-Indien Betreft, Maar Ook 't Voornaamste Dat Eenigzins Tot Eenige Andere Europeërs, in Die Gewesten, Betrekking Heeft. Franeker: Van Wijnen, 2002.
This book, written by François Valentijn, discusses the different countries that the Dutch East India Company traded with in the Far East. Valentijn spent sixteen years in the East Indies as a minister, and he lived in tropical locales such as Java and Ambon. This book contains more than a thousand illustrations, including the most up-to-date maps of the eighteenth century. [Tami Latta]
https://archive.org/details/gri_33125008243392
A Voyage to the Island of Ceylon: On Board a Dutch Indiaman, in the Year M.DCC.XLVII. London: Printed for J. Bouquet, 1754.
Secondary sources
General Art History
Akveld, Leo and Els M. Jacobs. “Ceylon.” Chapter 6 of The Colourful World of the VOC, 120-135. Amsterdam: THOTH Publishers Bussum, 2002.
Published in commemoration of the quadricentennial of the founding of the VOC, this book gives a very broad introduction to the most significant events in the history of interactions between the Company and the areas with which it engaged in trade. The chapter concerning Ceylon begins by creating a basic timeline of events, but then goes more in depth into a few topics, such as the significance of the production of cinnamon in this region. A good description is given of the various ports and harbors of Ceylon, such as Galle, Trincomalee, Jaffna, and Mattara. The source presents information concerning the weaponry used by the natives of Ceylon, the gingall (grasshopper), as well as information on important historical figures within this area that are frequently discussed in relation to visual interculturation, such as Jan Brandes and Gerard Hulft. This book also includes excellent illustrations. [Ashley Mason]
Brohier, Richard Leslie. Changing face of Colombo, 1505-1972: covering the Portuguese, Dutch, and British periods. Colombo: Lake House Investments, 1984.
----------. Links between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands: A Book of Dutch Ceylon. Colombo: Netherlands Alumni Association of Sri Lanka, 1978.
This is a broad study that not only summarizes the history of interactions between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, but also discusses the vestiges of the colonial Dutch. There are chapters on forts and fortresses, town planning and architectural norms, colonial Dutch furniture, churches, and canals and irrigation. There are black and white photographs throughout, but the information included is rather dated. Brohier does not consistently provide citations for the information he puts forth, so it is difficult to trace back to the original source. Also, the bibliography provided is rather sparse. [Ashley Mason]
----------. Seeing Ceylon: in vistas of scenery, history, legend and folklore. 3rd ed. Colombo: Lake House Investments, 1981.
Chaiklin, Martha. “Ivory in Early Modern Ceylon: A Case Study in What Documents Don’t Reveal.” International Journal of Asian Studies 6, no. 1 (Jan 2009): 37-63.
de Silva, R. K. “Of Dutch Painters and Predikants …” In 400 Years of Dutch – Sri Lanka Relations: 1602-2002. Edited by Saman Kelegama and Roshan Madawela, 473-498. Colombo: Institute Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2002.
--------. Early Prints of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1800-1900. London: Serendib Publications, 1985.
de Silva, R. K. and W. G. M. Beumer. Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon, 1602-1796: a comprehensive work of pictorial reference with selected eye-witness accounts. London: Serendib Publications, 1988.
The Dutch period in Ceylon (1656-1796) left a diverse legacy: Dutch-Roman law, botanical innovations, canal and irrigation systems, impressive forts and churches, as well as distinctive furniture. Fortunately, many of these achievements were recorded by artists who created a visual record of the exotic environment and society in which they lived. This rich pictorial history is now available in R. K. de Silva and W. G. M. Beumer’s Illustrations and Views of Dutch Ceylon: 1602-1796, a handsomely illustrated history of the period. Comprised in four parts, the book details the establishment of Dutch power in the first part; the second with the ensuing 140 years of occupation, administration and influence; the third focuses on the lives of the authors, artists and illustrators. Part Four comprises explanatory notes. There is also a detailed list of all the illustrations and a good index. Following the pattern established by de Silva’s earlier book, The Early Prints of Ceylon: 1800-1900 (London, 1985), the pictures are arranged more or less chronologically. They are accompanied by an account of the Dutch in Sri Lanka, which is enlivened by many excerpts from eye-witness accounts and more than 200 black and white illustrations taken from seventeenth and eighteen century printed books. Most of the illustrations are organized by location of fourteen sites, primarily coastal cities and their environs. Those for Colombo are the most extensive. The emphasis is on city maps, fortifications, views across harbors and rivers and buildings. The organization allows comparisons of some views over time. Outside of these geographical parameters are reproductions of several fascinating places such as the temple of Mulgirigala, outstanding depictions of animals, a variety of watercolors, events such the annul embassy of the Kandyan king in 1772, a series of oil paintings of Dutch governors, and more. The colored illustrations are expertly reproduced. [Elizabeth Schmid, edited by Ashley Mason]
Diessen, J.R. van. Sri Lanka: De Singhalese koninkrijken en de Nederlandse kolonisatie; geschiedenis, kunst en cultuur. De Bilt: Cantecleer, 1986.
Devendra, Somasiri. “Dutch Shipwrecks in Galle: The Avondster Project.” In 400 Years of Dutch – Sri Lanka Relations: 1602-2002. Edited by Saman Kelegama and Roshan Madawela, 369-398. Colombo: Institute Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2002.
Fernando, A. Denis N. “Dutch Maps of Sri Lanka.” In 400 Years of Dutch – Sri Lanka Relations: 1602-2002. Edited by Saman Kelegama and Roshan Madawela, 499-540. Colombo: Institute Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2002.
Heydt, Johann Wolffgang and R. Raven-Hart. Heydt's Ceylon : Being the Relevant Sections of the Allerneuester Geographisch- Und Topographischer Schau-Platz Von Africa Und Ost-Indien etc. Colombo: Ceylon Government Information Department, 1952.
Hovy, L., ed. Ceylonees plakkaatboek: plakkaten en andere wetten uitgevaardigd door het Nederlandse bestuur op Ceylon, 1638-1796). 2 vols. Hilversum: Verloren, 1991.
Raat, A.J.P. “Joan Gideon Loten (1710-1789) en zijn collective aquarellen van planten en dieren uit Ceylon.” In Het machtige Eyland: Ceylon en de V.O.C., edited by R. Kromhout. (s’Gravenhage: SDU, 1988): 84-89.
Silva, Roland. “Archaeology of the Dutch Period in Sri Lanka.” In 400 Years of Dutch – Sri Lanka Relations: 1602-2002. Edited by Saman Kelegama and Roshan Madawela, 343-368. Colombo: Institute Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2002.
Zandvliet, K., Leonard Blusse, et al. The Dutch Encounter with Asia, 1600-1950. Zwolle: Waanders, 2002.
Available reviews: Schmidt, Benjamin. “Review of The Dutch Encounter with Asia, 1600-1950 by Kees Zandvliet.” The Art Bulletin 87, no. 4 (Dec 2005): 741.
Furniture
Brohier, Richard Leslie. Furniture of the Dutch Period in Ceylon. Colombo: National Museums of Ceylon Publication, 1969.
Raheem, Ismeth. “Furniture from the Dutch Period: 16556-1796.” In 400 Years of Dutch – Sri Lanka Relations: 1602-2002. Edited by Saman Kelegama and Roshan Madawela, 439-472. Colombo: Institute Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2002.
Veenendaal, Jan, Delft (Netherlands), and Museum Nusantara. Furniture from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India during the Dutch Period. Delft: Foundation Volkenkundig Museum Nusantara, 1985.
Veenendaal’s book provides not only a nice introduction that outlines the relations between the Dutch and Ceylon, but also provides much information concerning the progression of furniture styles from the period in which the Dutch occupied the island. Beginning by discussing the issues of class in relation to furniture, the author goes on to outline various types of furniture from what he calls the period of “furniture with low-relief carving, 1650-1680.” Next, he discusses furniture from the period of “furniture with half-relief carving, 1680-1720.” After this, Veenendaal discusses various furniture without carving, chests, furniture from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and briefly explains the various kinds of timber used. At the end, the author presents primary source documents of 21 inventories from this period, as well as an informative glossary of important terms. (Ashley Mason)Available review: “Review.” Burlington Magazine 129 (Jan 1987): 43.
[Ashley Mason]
Architecture/Forts
Maseland, J. Urban growth and architecture of Dutch period Colombo. MA thesis, Delft, 1982.
Nelson, W. A. and R. K. de Silva. The Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka: The Military Monuments of Ceylon. Sri Lanka: Netherlands Association, report 1984, update 2004.
This book traces the history, technical construction, and present-day conditions of the Dutch defensive forts built in Sri Lanka during the seventeenth century. Standing apart from the outmoded design of castles, the Dutch engineered their artillery forts to keep native populations and larger trading rivals at bay; the British and French East India Companies had their own settlements on the Coromandel Coast and maintained armies and large fleets at sea (2). In his pioneering 1984 report, William A. Nelson organized the Dutch forts in Sri Lanka according to their various locations (Western Group, Southern Group, Northern Group, and East Coast) and examined the chief fort in each group in great detail. This source includes many useful diagrams in addition to black and white and color photographs of most sites. In 2004, the Sri Lanka Netherlands Association assigned RK de Silva to update Nelson’s 1984 published report in light of the forts’ “present physical state and usage” (11f). De Silva’s update on each Dutch fort from Nelson’s study directly follows the original 1984 report. This format ensures that Nelson’s initial findings, his research post-1984 until his death in 1993, and De Silva’s contributions are presented in sequence for each individual fort (11l). The report includes information about both the forts’ construction in the Dutch colonial era and the ways in which the forts have functioned since their creation. [Amanda Strasik, edited by Ashley Mason]
Vos, Ashley de. “Dutch Architecture, Dutch Colonial Architecture, Dutch Period Architecture, or Architecture of “Dual Parentage?”’ In 400 Years of Dutch – Sri Lanka Relations: 1602-2002. Edited by Saman Kelegama and Roshan Madawela, 399-438. Colombo: Institute Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2002.
Vos, F.H. de. “Supplementary paper on the monumental remains of the Dutch East India Company in Ceylon.” Journal of the Ceylon branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 17 (1901-1902): 12-72.
Jan Brandes/Illustrations
De Bruijn, Max, and Remco Raben, eds. The World of Jan Brandes, 1743-1808: Drawings of a Dutch Traveller in Batavia, Ceylon and Southern Africa. Zwolle: Waanders Publishers, 2004.
This edited volume published by the Rijksmuseum is structured around the illustration and study of water-color sketches done by Jan Brandes, an eighteenth-century Lutheran minister who traveled to Batavia, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and Southern Africa. Produced primarily for Brandes’ personal use, these sketches resemble the sort of snapshots a tourist might take to record their travels and appear “strongly documentary in character (10).” This collection of images of Dutch activity abroad is of special interest because Brandes was not a trained scientist or tradesman, but rather an educated man interested in attaining and recording knowledge. The first part of the text is dedicated to the discussion of Brandes’ life. This extensive biographical coverage is key to an understanding of his work because, according to Raben and de Bruijn, his work and life are all but inseparable. Following this lengthy biographical coverage, two chapters entitled “Jan Brandes: An Outsider in the East” and “Jan Brandes, Student of Nature,” discuss the artist’s oeuvre in consideration of his eighteenth-century cultural context as well as part of the Orientalist tradition. The final chapter in the introductory section of the text provides a brief history of Brandes works. This extensive body of information is followed by a richly-illustrated analysis of 198 of Brandes sketches. These images, organized by region in which they were created or by subject matter, are each accompanied by a scholarly analysis of their content and meaning. In an effort to contextualize each image, many sections have been written by teams of authors working together in their analysis. Of special interest to scholars of the Dutch presence in Ceylon is a lengthy chapter dedicated to Brandes’ sketches produced in the region (231-354). Forty-six sketches are discussed, many of which are reproduced in high quality color images. In addition, there are numerous citations and an extensive bibliography. [Lauren M. Freese, edited by Ashley Mason] LaBarge, Maria S. Francois Valentijn’s Oud En Nieuw Oost Indien and the Dutch Frontispiece in the 17th and 18th Centuries. MA thesis, University of Miami, 2008. Electronic SourceVroom, Wilhelmus Hermanus. “Jan Brandes, de landraad te Colombo in 1785.” Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum 37, (1989): 253-255.
Visser, Hans. “Jan Brandes, de lutherse predikant-tekenaar.” Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum 34, (1986): 67-81.
History/Economics/Politics
Books:
Anthonisz, R. G. The Dutch in Ceylon; an Account of their Early Visits to the Island, their Conquests, and their Rule Over the Maritime Regions during a Century and a Half. Colombo: Printed at the C.A.C. press, 1929.
Arasaratnam, Sinnappah. Ceylon and the Dutch, 1600-1800 : External Influences and Internal Change in Early Modern Sri Lanka. Brookfield, VT: Variorum, 1996.
Bassett, R.H. Romantic Ceylon: its history, legend and story. London: C. Palmer, 1929.
Franciscus, S.D. Faith of our fathers: history of the Dutch Reformed church in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Colombo: Pragna Publishers, 1983.
Hooft, Hendrik. Patriot and Patrician: To Holland and Ceylon in the steps of Henrik Hooft and Pieter Ondaatje, champions of Dutch democracy. Canton, MA: Watson Publishing International, 1999.
Hulugalle, H. A. J. Ceylon of the early travellers. Colombo: Wesley Press, 1969.
Kelegama, Saman, and Roshan Madawela, eds. 400 Years of Dutch – Sri Lanka Relations: 1602-2002. Colombo: Institute Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2002.
Kotelawele, D. A. Agrarian policies of the Dutch in South-West Ceylon, 1743-1767. Wageningen: Agricultural University, 1967.
Kromhout, R., ed. Het machtige eyland: Ceylon en de VOC. s’Gravenhage: SDU, 1988.
Jurriaanse, M.W. Catalogue of the archives of the Dutch central government of coastal Ceylon 1640-1796. Colombo, 1943. Electronic Source
The lengthy volume was compiled by a Dutch archivist who had been called to Colombo by the British government of Ceylon to arrange and describe the records of the Dutch regime of that colony. Her task finished, and cut off from her home by the war, Jurriaanse came to Washington in June, 1943, to serve as an archivist at the Netherlands Embassy. Jurriaanse's publication shows to American and English archivists, unable to study Dutch inventories because of the language difficulties, how arrangement and description of records are carried out by a trained Dutch archivist. The archives of the Dutch administration of Ceylon have been preserved in a fairly intact state. They stretch approximately 310 running meters and cover the period 1640-1796. The bulk of these archives are made up of the documents of the administrative bodies at Colombo and Galle. Only some smaller or larger fragments of the archives of the subordinate settlements have survived. The archives of the chief settlement in Colombo are described by M.W. Juriaanse in the Catalogue of the Archives of the Dutch Central Government of Coastal Ceylon 1640-1796 (Colombo 1943). Although not immediately apparent from the inventory, these present the picture of typical establishment archives including correspondence with superiors in the Dutch Republic and in Batavia, proceedings and diaries of the local administration, and records from the various subordinate establishments. (Sicong Zhu, edited by Ashley Mason)Available reviews: Posner, Ernst. "Catalogue of the Archives of the Dutch Central Government of Coastal Ceylon 1640-1796 by Maria W. Jurriaanse", The American Archivist 7, no. 4 (1944): 261-264.
[Ashley Mason]Ludovici, Leopold. Lapidarium Zeylanicum, being a Collection of Monumental Inscriptions of the Dutch Churches and Churchyards of Ceylon. Colombo: J. Maitland, 1877.
Pieris, P. E. Ceylon and the Hollanders, 1658-1796. Tellippalai: Ceylon, American Ceylon Mission Press, 1918. Electronic Source
Pieris’ book was written as a sequel to his Ceylon and the Portuguese. This text is primarily a political account of the relationship between the Dutch and Ceylon. It contains a description of the Dutch gaining control of the coastal districts, followed by the eventual transition to British authority. The text focuses exclusively on information about the economic, social and political developments during this period. It was clear (according to Pieris) that the people of Ceylon had appropriated in their own culture. Pieris does discuss the trade of cinnamon, areca nuts, coffee, pepper and other products. However, Pieris has not footnotes or endnotes, so his research lacks verifiability. [Arjun Ahluwalia, edited by Ashley Mason]----------, ed. Notes on some Sinhalese families III. Being the diary of Adirian de Alwis, Goonetilleke Samaranaike Mudaliyar of Salpiti Korale, for the years 1777-1795. Colombo: Printed by Colombo Apothecaries Co., 1911.
----------. Sinhalese social organization: the Kandyan period. Colombo: Ceylon University Press, 1956.
Raven-Hart, R., ed. The Dutch wars with Kandy, 1764-1766. Colombo: Govt. Press, Ceylon, 1964.
----------, ed. The Pybus embassy to Kandy, 1762. Colombo: The National Museums of Ceylon, 1958.
----------, ed. Travels in Ceylon 1700-1800. Colombo: Associated Newspapers of Ceylon, 1963.
Roberts, Michael. Caste conflict and elite formation: the rise of a Karava elite in Sri Lanka 1500-1931. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Available reviews: Arasaratnam, S. “Book Review.” Indian Economic & Social History Review 21, 2 (1984): 260-263.Sanders, G.P. “Joan Aalwis Widjejewarddene Senewiratne en de uijtegebreidheid van een mostaart Zaatje: een Ceylonese beloningspenning uitgereikt door de Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie in 1762.” Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum 42, 1 (1994): 13-36.
Singh, Anjana. Fort Cochin in Kerala, 1750-1830: the Social Condition of a Dutch Community in an Indian Milieu. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2010.
Terwen-de Loos, J. Het Nederlands-koloniale meubel: studie overmeubels in de voormalige Nederlandse koloniën Indonesië en Sri Lanka. Franeker: T. Wever, 1985.
Wagenaar, L. Galle, VOC-vestiging in Ceylon. Beschrijving van een koloniale samenleving aan de vooravond van de Singalese opstand tegen het Nederlandse gezag, 1760. Amsterdam: Bataafsche Leeuw, 1994.
Winius, George D. The Fatal History of Portuguese Ceylon; Transition to Dutch Rule. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1971.
Articles/Essays/Theses:
Abeysinghe, T. B. H. "Embassies as instruments of diplomacy: a case-study from Sri Lanka in the first half of the eighteenth century." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka 30, (1985-1986): 1-39.
Arasaratnam, Sinnappah. "Elements of social and economic change in Dutch maritime Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1658-1796." Indian Economic & Social History Review 22, no. 1 (1985): 35-54.
----------. "The indigenous ruling class in Dutch Maritime Ceylon." The Indian Economic and Social History Review 8, no. 1(1971): 57-71.
de Silva, G. P. S. H. “Instructions to the Dutch Disawe of Colombo issued by Governor Cornelis Joan Simons in 1707.” The Ceylon Historical Journal, vol. 19 (1970): 29-49.
Kanapathypillai, V. "Helen or costly bride: the V.O.C. and the cinnamon trade of Sri Lanka 1766-1796." Modern Sri Lanka Studies 2, no. 1 (1987): 133-146.
Kotelawele, D. A. “Agrarian policies of the Dutch in South-West Ceylon, 1743-1767." AAG bijdragen 14, (1967): 3-33.
McGilvray, Dennis B. "Dutch Burghers and Portuguese Mechanics: Eurasian ethnicity in Sri Lanka." Comparative Studies in Society and History 24, no. 2 (1982): 253-263.
McGilvray uses his anthropological field research in Sri Lanka to draw attention to the commonly overlooked racially mixed descendants of Europeans called “Dutch Burghers” or “Portuguese Burghers/Mechanics” that make up a unique segment in society. These mixed-blood Burghers originally held social status higher than the indigenous people because they were genetically part European, but neither Dutch nor Portuguese Burghers were completely accepted by their ancestral groups. The Burghers were criticized by both of their backgrounds as failures of cultural hybridization because they did not conform to stratified Hindu castes or colonial social classifications. The lack of acceptance in the nineteenth and twentieth century motivated Burghers to found civic groups with membership based on proven genealogical links to known VOC employees. Although boasting a European pedigree increased Burgher societal isolation, the quest to prove the purity of their mixed race fostered interest in cultural research and brought about the revival of many “Creole” customs. Renewed interest in Dutch and Portuguese contributions to indigenous music, dance, and Creole-Portuguese language lent credence to cultural practices that still exist today. Nonetheless, following independence, there is little political or social advantage of promoting oneself as a “Burgher” and few identify themselves as such anymore. [Nathan Popp, edited by Ashley Mason]Panditharatna, B.L. “The harbor and port of Colombo: a geographical appraisal of its historical and functional aspects.” The Ceylon Journal of Historical and Social Studies 3, no. 2 (1960): 128-143.
Pearson, Joseph. “The throne of the kings of Kandy.” Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 31, no. 82 (1929): 380-383.
Raben, Remco. Batavia and Colombo: the ethnic and spatial order of two colonial cities 1600-1800. PhD thesis, Leiden University, 1996.
WEBSITES
www. tanap.net - Towards A New Age of Partnership in Dutch East India Company Archives and Research Annotation
While this website is not only about the relationship between the VOC and Sri Lanka, it does contain inventories of all record groups in Sri Lanka. However, it also has other helpful information concerning the VOC in general. [Ashley Mason]http://srilankaresearch.org/index.html - Sri Lanka Research Annotation
This is a website that makes the articles published in Sri Lankan scholarly journals searchable. It is very helpful, as many of these journals are not widely available and do not frequently show up in regular searches for these materials. This website also contains a list of libraries, universities, and research institutions in Sri Lanka, as well as links to online journals. [Ashley Mason]http://www.iaf.nl/Users/janpoel/index.html - Sri Lanka Information Page Annotation
This website is not entirely academic or scholarly, but it has a number of interesting links to other sites related to Dutch culture in Sri Lanka. [Ashley Mason]http://www.wolvendaal.org/ - Wolvendaal Foundation Annotation
This is the website of a foundation that is focused on the renovation, maintenance, and improvement of Dutch churches and monuments in Sri Lanka. It has some very good photographs. [Ashley Mason]