The Intra Asian Trade In Japanese Copper By The Dutch East India Company During The Eighteenth Century

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In this definitive study of the intra-Asian trade in Japanese copper trade by the Dutch East India Company, the author argues that the trade in this commodity reaped high profits. Despite the huge imports of British copper by the English East India Company during the eighteenth century, the Dutch Company successfully continued to sell Japanese copper in South Asia at higher prices. Compared to the capital-intensive development of British mines in the age of the Industrial Revolution, the copper production in Tokugawa Japan was characterized by a labour-intensive 'revolution' which also made a big impact on the local economy. Title Page Copyright Page Series Editor's Foreword Table of Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Explanation for units of measurements Chapter One: Introduction General problem Japanese copper trade Intra-Asian trade Analytical framework Chapter Two: The setting of the scene Introduction 2.1 Trading routes of the VOC Japanese copper export to the VOC European and Asian markets The intra-Asian Japanese copper trade of the VOC 2.2 Alternative trading routes Three routes for Japanese copper export Re-exports by the competitors Chapter Three: Profits of the VOC from the Japanese copper trade Introduction 3.1 The bookkeeping system of the VOC in Asia The Archives of the Bookkeeper-General in Batavia (BGB) The method of calculating profits of the VOC 3.2 Profits from the Japanese copper trade and the copper distribution Period I (1700-1725): Slow-down in gross profits per unit Period II (1725-1760): Large increase in gross profits per unit Period III (1760-1790): Decrease in gross profits per unit Chapter Four: Japanese copper production and exports Introduction 4.1 Japanese copper-mining Overview of copper production in Japan Japanese copper-mining Technical evolution in copper-mining 4-2 Economics of the Nagasaki trade Economic model of the copper trade in Japan ‘Bullionism’ and the imports of precious metals Chapter Five: European copper production in a changing world Introduction 5.1 European copper production Swedish copper production British copper production 5.2 British copper in global history Comparative view of copper inflows into South Asia Japan: a turn in a different direction? The VOC: the Flying Dutchman Chapter Six: General view of the demand side Introduction 6.1 South Asian market, 1700-1780 6.2 Dutch copper doits and Japanese copper coins Dutch doit copper coins Small denomination currency for the Javanese economy General observations Chapter Seven: Demand for copper in Coromandel and Bengal Introduction 7.1 Imports of Japanese copper into Coromandel, 1700-1760 Quantitative overview of copper imports Location of copper sales Copper as mint material The price of copper Price formation by external factors and regional factors 7.2 Imports of Japanese copper into Bengal, 1740-1800 Quantitative overview of the copper trade Comparison with the Coromandel trade Competition with the EIC Chapter Eight: The economics of the Japanese copper trade Introduction 8.1 Intra-Asian trade of the VOC and Japanese copper Intra-Asian and Euro-Asian trade of the VOC The age of the bulk trade Significance of Japanese copper to the VOC 8.2 Macro analysis: monetary effect on the Japanese economy Japanese small denomination currency Japanese price trend Chapter Nine: From Deshima to the world Introduction Japanese context Day-to-day business in Nagasaki Three crises in the eighteenth century From Deshima to the world Chapter Ten: Conclusion The copper trade of the VOC The effects of the copper trade on the Japanese economy The copper trade for the Asian economy Notes Appendices Bibliography Index