Nevertheless, I came across 'archival events' which consist of hundreds of
pages.65 With this research I was able to describe the information system and
network of the Dutch East India Company in theory and in practice. Poor
information services from Persia show how the outposts of the Company were
supposed to deliver their information: well organized, clearly written, and to the
point. Moreover, by mapping the document flows of the Persian outpost, a clear
picture is presented of the information network in a time of (administrative)
crisis. The Persian example even reveals that information flows might appear
outside of the 'regular' network. The reaction of the Hoge Regering shows that
the information system of the Company apparently did not always work properly.
Abbreviations
ANRI Arsip Nasional Republik Indonesia Jakarta (National Archive of Indonesia)
HR Gouverneur-Generaal en Raden van Indië (Hoge Regering) of the
Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, 1612-1812
(Governor General and Counsellors of the Indies of the United
East India Company)
NA Nationaal Archief Den Haag (National Archive The Hague)
VOC Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (United East India Company)
91
NICO VRIEND AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF PAPER: THE INFORMATION SYSTEM AND NETWORK OF
THE DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY
