than 90%. This picture does not change if account is taken of the papers found
in the private collections formed by former high-ranking colonial officials in the
Netherlands.
This diminishing volume of reporting must have been a nuisance to those who
were involved in the process. At least, this is what might have been expected.
On the other hand, some of those involved, in particular on the colonial end
of the chain of information, might have seen this as a blessing in disguise. They
were freed of the big-brother-like prying and intervention by the home country.
In short, it gave 'entrepreneurially minded' administrators trying to enrich
themselves an extra opportunity. In this respect, the British blockade put the
colonies at a greater distance from the Netherlands, thereby maximizing the
ever-present drive for autonomous rule overseas. The war caused an 'emergency
situation' and in the home country those in charge were probably not very
bothered about this, as they had other things on their mind, such as finding and
equipping ships as well as naval and military men for the colonies. The difficulty
in communicating with the home country meant that changes in policy decided
there were not implemented overseas. Consequently, after 1795 the old VOC
order overseas was simply continued. For many years the regime changes in the
Netherlands did not effect the colonies. It was only with the advent of Daendels
that the old establishment in Batavia and elsewhere was finally disrupted.
Today, the consequent decrease in the flow of information is that a modern-
day historian interested in analyzing developments in society on a provincial
or sub-provincial level will not find as much of his or her liking as they might
have expected on the basis of experience with the VOC period. However, in areas
which for the greater part of the period remained under Dutch rule the colonial
administration continued to function, although it has to be seen whether it
was on the same level and in the same tempo as before. It could well be that
the drying up of the provision of new personnel from the Netherlands had a
detrimental effect on the staffing and quality of the administration. Further
research is necessary to find out what happened on the spot. Such research can
only be successful if archival collections in Asia, in particular the one of the
National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta, and that in South
Africa are consulted.
Abbreviations
HaNa National Archives The Hague
MvK Colonial Office
OIC East India Committee
RAB Council for the Asiatic Possessions
VOC United East India Company
GERRIT KNAAP THE DUTCH COLONIAL ARCHIVAL LEGACY IN AN AGE OF REGIME CHANGE CI79O-Cl8l0
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