to illustrate how information in early modern societies was spread in written and
oral form - Ann Stoler does not visualize her findings.16 The introduced concepts
of 'pulse' and 'archival events' remain theoretical frameworks. Moreover,
although Stoler incidentally mentions different aspects of archival events, a clear
definition is missing. Stoler also gives no indication if and how those events could
be traced in our archives. In this article, however, I will introduce a method by
which archival events can possibly be traced. Whether or not this method works
is a sub-question of my research. I did research on the classification systems
used on the archives of the Heeren XVII and the Hoge Regering during the years
1737-1750. The results of the latter are presented in this article.17 The period
corresponds to the terms of office of the gouverneurs-generaal Valckenier (1737-
1741), Thedens (1741-1743) and Van Imhoff (1743-1750) in Batavia.
In this research, following Ann Stoler's theory, I have regarded an archival event
as a relative "thickening" of documents in the administration of an organization
around a certain subject. This is caused by an increased production and exchange
of documents. However, this thickening can only be called an archival event
if the increased production and exchange of documents is a relative increase
in time. For example, suppose that the archive of an organization is split up
according to the subjects used by the administration at the time. For instance,
it might become clear that lots of documents are written on selling opium. This
does not necessarily constitute an archival event because opium may always have
been a subject on which much has been written. When the archival documents
are ordered chronologically, it might however become clear that lots of paperwork
on opium is found during one specific year, compared to the years before and
after. In that year, apparently, there was an increased focus in the organization on
the subject of opium. Because lots of documents were written on this subject,
this resulted in a relative thickening of archival documents, and possibly an
archival event.
The method I used to trace archival events in the archive of the Dutch East
India Company is further explained below. First, however, I will proceed with
the information system and network of the Company. Although my research is
focussed on the Company's document system and network, I will use the terms
'information system' and 'information network' as well. I prefer this broad
perspective because information can also be transferred in oral form.
For example, the writers of the archival documents I studied refer to "orally
spread" information and "rumours". In this regard, Robert Danton's statement
that "the actual flow must have been far more complex and extensive", is also
true for this research.18
NICO VRIEND AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF PAPER: THE INFORMATION SYSTEM AND NETWORK OF
THE DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY
16 De Vivo, Information and communication in Venice, 66, and 145. Darnton, 'An early information society';
Darnton, Poetry and the police. For an example of early modern information gathering on a small scale, see
also: Darnton, 'A police inspector sorts his files'.
17 For my findings on the archive of the Heeren XVII, see my thesis Het informatiesysteem en -netwerk van de
Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie. Online via: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/18501.
18 Darnton, Poetry and the police, 15. According to Daniel R. Headrick an information system can be described
as 'the methods and techniques by which people organize and manage information.' Headrick, When infor
mation came of age, 4.
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