Text: Han Shi's words
Edited by Han Shi's words
Preface
The Netherlands played an important role in the Age of Discovery, being known as the coachmen of the sea, and the Sephardic Jews had an important influence on the economic and cultural development of the Netherlands.
In the tolerant atmosphere of the Netherlands, Sephardi Jews brought great wealth and glory to the Netherlands through their economic activities.
The origin and development of Sephardi Jews in the Netherlands
The Jewish community on the Iberian Peninsula has a long history, dating back to the Greco-Roman period. Before the 6th century AD, the Jewish community had taken root in the Iberian Peninsula.
They enjoyed a high social status in the region, serving as advisors, doctors, wealthy merchants, and scholars in the court.
However, the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 dealt a brutal blow to the Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula.
To escape religious persecution, Sephardic Jews were scattered to cities or colonies on the continent, with some choosing to come to the Netherlands. They continued to use their commercial strengths to participate in the transatlantic trade of the Dutch Golden Age.
The Inquisition and the Diaspora of Jews in the Iberian Peninsula
The Inquisition was an institution designed to deal with heretics and heretics, originating from the Roman Church.
In Spain, the Inquisition played an important role in the struggle against the Moors, strengthening the Christian faith in the Iberian Peninsula during the Christian reconquest.
In the late 15th century, as the desire for religious unity in Christian nations grew, Jews and converted new Christians became the targets of the Inquisition.
Large-scale, state-sponsored religious investigations began, primarily against new Christians who were considered to have betrayed Christianity because of the strict observance of Jewish rituals and rituals.
Most of these new Christians were descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity between 1367 and 1417. After their conversion, these people worked in all walks of life in Spain, including politics, law, church, military, etc., and some converts even dominated social life.
Suspicion and hatred prevailed in society about the existence of these people, and the Inquisition began to investigate and try them, which led to the forced diaspora of many Jews and new Christians.
Religious liberalization and economic opportunities in the Netherlands
Religious tolerance and economic opportunities in the Netherlands were one of the main reasons that attracted Sephardi Jews to immigrate to the Netherlands. Religious tolerance in the Netherlands was based on the tolerance and acceptance of fugitives who were persecuted by the Shining Spanish rule and the Inquisition.
The economic prosperity and international trade opportunities in the Netherlands attracted a large number of businessmen and entrepreneurs, including Jews, who played an important role in the Netherlands and contributed to the development of the economy.
Spatially, the Sephardi Jewish immigrants in the Netherlands came from different countries and regions, but they established a strong Jewish community in the Netherlands.
In terms of time, the immigration of Sephardic Jews to the Netherlands was influenced by the international environment, political situation and economic factors.
The Netherlands, the world's most important trading entrepot at the time, did not offer any form of openness to the arrival of immigrants, but Sephardic Jews gradually formed a large community in the region.
The start and development of Dutch transatlantic trade
After immigration, transatlantic trade arose after the Great Geographical Discoveries, involving Spain and Portugal in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as colonial countries such as the Netherlands, Britain, and France, and engaged in trade activities related to colonial goods through the development of American colonies.
The Netherlands played an important role in transatlantic trade. Since the 90s of the 16th century, merchants of the Dutch Republic began to transport ships around the world.
They actively attacked the Iberian trade networks in Asia and the Atlantic, building a large-scale trading empire in Europe, Asia and the Atlantic.
By around 1650, the Netherlands had a greater share of world trade than any other country, and transatlantic trade was even seen as a miracle in the Dutch Republic.
Although it is impossible to express the appearance of this miracle in concrete and quantitative forms, the answer can be found in the historical context of the time.
The war between the Netherlands and Iberia had a direct impact on Dutch transatlantic trade. The embargo imposed by Iberia severely disrupted Dutch trade, forcing the Dutch to engage in competitive expansion in the Western Atlantic.
In this context, some scholars argue that political and military reasons had a more direct and far-reaching impact on Dutch transatlantic trade, as the war and embargo had an impact on the economic development and commercial restructuring of the Netherlands.
The start and growth of the Netherlands in transatlantic trade was influenced by a variety of factors, including political, military and economic factors.
Together, these factors contributed to the rise of the Netherlands in transatlantic trade and made it an important force in global trade at the time.
Dutch expansion into the transatlantic region
The Dutch transatlantic expansion is inseparable from the development of its maritime economic base and the fish trade. The Netherlands has opened up new trade routes by tackling maritime fisheries problems through innovative technologies.
The war embargo brought new economic opportunities and attracted merchants from all over Europe.
The Netherlands has advantages in terms of vessel construction, design, and transportation costs, and is able to provide trade transport services at a low cost. In the late 16th century, the Netherlands quickly became an important player in transatlantic trade and transportation, involving the trade in luxury goods in Brazil, West Africa, and the North American colonies, contributing to the Dutch economic prosperity.
The early development of Dutch transatlantic trade
The early development of Dutch transatlantic trade began in the 16th century, when the Dutch imported goods such as olive oil, dried fish, and tuna mainly from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Dutch trade with the Iberian Peninsula was often limited by political interference and competition, so Dutch merchants began to seek trade through other channels.
Trade in the Atlantic region thus became a major target for Dutch merchants. The Dutch's dominance in the North Sea made it a great power for maritime trade and exploration.
Dutch captains began to explore the Atlantic Ocean and discover the famous "New World", thus opening up the transatlantic trade route.
The Netherlands successfully entered the sugar market in the Americas and became a major importer of sugar. Dutch merchants obtained sugar and other commodities by illegally infiltrating the trade routes of Brazil and the American continent.
Dutch merchants also began to develop trade relations with local tribes, making their way from Holland to the New World easier.
The Dutch also entered West Africa, where they engaged in the slave trade to provide labor for their American colonies.
Dutch merchants bought African men, women, and children and transported them to Dutch-owned colonies such as Dutch Guiana, the Dutch Caribbean Islands, and Dutch South Africa for forced labor.
The development of Dutch transatlantic trade
The development of Dutch transatlantic trade was mainly driven by the Dutch West India Company.
The company carried out privateer trade through military operations and promoted trade by fighting for and occupying colonies, encouraging immigration, and establishing direct trade links with the colonies.
By conquering Brazil, the Dutch took control of most of the sugar-producing regions in northeastern Brazil and established their rule, and the region became known as "New Netherland".
The rapid development of the Dutch sugar trade in Brazil led to an increase in the demand for labor, and the Dutch once again sought to occupy Portugal's most important slave stronghold on the Gold Coast in West Africa.
Curacao became the new center of Dutch transatlantic trade, attracting many Jewish merchants and shipowners to participate in the trade. Curaçao's range of commercial activities continued to expand, making it a busy trading hub.
The involvement and influence of Sephardic Jews in the Dutch transatlantic trade
Sephardic Jews played a crucial role in the transatlantic trade of the Dutch Golden Age, and Sephardi Jews established an extensive trade network in the Netherlands and had great economic power.
They set up commercial centres and trading companies in Dutch port cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Holtting, ranging from brokering to direct involvement, in commodities such as sugar, tobacco, hides and hides, gold, ivory, diamonds and coral.
They made huge profits from their trading activities and made an important contribution to the economic prosperity of the Netherlands.
Sephardi Jews played a key role in the development of business in the Netherlands. They introduced modern business practices and techniques, such as joint-stock companies and partnerships, and promoted the innovation and development of the business system in the Netherlands.
Sephardi Jews also occupy an important position in the Dutch financial industry, participating in activities such as lending, currency exchange, and venture capital. Their legal and economic practices have had a profound impact on the Dutch commercial law system and financial system.
The religious tolerance policies of the Dutch Golden Age allowed Sephardi Jews to move to the Netherlands and establish a thriving community there.
They maintain their religious and cultural traditions, while also absorbing cultural elements of Dutch society.
Sephardi Jews made important contributions to Dutch culture, science, and art, such as the Dutch painter Rembrandt and the Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza.
Sephardic Jews played an important role in Dutch transatlantic trade and had a profound impact on the economic, commercial, and cultural development of the period.
Their trading activities and business practices made the Netherlands one of the most important trading centers of the time, and a policy of religious tolerance provided favorable conditions for their prosperity.
The transatlantic trade of the Dutch Golden Age and the participation of Sephardi Jews can be said to be mutually reinforcing and mutually reinforcing.
epilogue
After the collapse of Dutch Brazil in 1654, the Dutch transatlantic trade and Sephardic Jews suffered heavy losses. The Sephardi Jewish community turned to the Caribbean and continued to maintain ties with the Netherlands. It indirectly contributed to the development of the Dutch economy and contributed to the expansion of Jewish civilization in the New World.