ON THE COMMERCE AND INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE DUTCH POSSESSIONS IN EAST INDIA (1832)

On October 11, 1832, Pieter Mijer obtained the highest degree in both civil and canon law after defending this valuable historical and political dissertation written in Latin and consisted of two parts, "Dissertatio historicopolitica de commercio et internae administrationis forma possessionum Batavorum in India Orientali". This work also contains the folding table "On exports and imports from 1822-1829" and a few in-text statistical tables of economy and trade.

Contents:

I. PART ONE: ON THE BATAVAN TRADE IN INDIA ALL OVER. ON THE TRADE AND INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION FORM OF THE BATAVAN POSSESSIONS IN THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. ON THE TRADE IN THE INDIA CONTINENT.

SECTION ONE.
1. On the Batavan trade in India all over;
2. On trade in Europe;
3. On the Batavan trade between Europe and India;
4. On the mutual trade of the Batavan possessions in India.

SECTION TWO.
1. On the trade and internal administration form of the Batavan possessions in the Indian Archipelago;
2. On the accounts which the Batavan have contracted with different princes and regions in the Indian Archipelago: SUMATRA, BANCA, RIOUW, BORNEO, CELEBES, MOLUCCENSES ISLANDS, BANDA, AMBOINA, TERNATA;
3. On the various revenues of these regions, as regards internal and external trade;
4. On the commerce of these regions;
5. On the form of administration of the Dutch in these regions. Controversy from 1623 between the Dutch and the English.

SECTION THREE.
1. On the Dutch commerce in the whole of the Indian continent;
2. Japan;
3. China.

II. PART TWO: ON THE ISLAND OF JAVA.

SECTION ONE.
1. Historical-Political Overview of the Dutch Dominion on the Island of Java;
2. On the Nature of the Island of Java, Its Inhabitants and Foreigners, and Its Internal Trade;
3. On the Various Revenues of Java in Respect of Internal and External Trade.

SECTION TWO.
1. On the System of Territorial Revenues on the Island of Java;
2. On the Cession of Lands or Lands on the Island of Java;
3. On the Administration of Law among the Natives;
4. On the Causes of the Destruction of the Dutch Society, on the Fates to Which Indian Trade Gradually Became Subject, and on Its Current Condition.
Theses.

"The various and very serious vicissitudes of time, which the Dutch Possessions in the East Indies have undergone in recent times, especially from the Anglo-American War to our own times, are among the reasons why there has been a greater abundance of writers and books, which, whether justly or unjustly, have revealed and exposed the vices and virtues which had crept into and prevailed in the administration of Indian affairs. For previously, knowledge of those things which pertained to the administration of the possessions could hardly be obtained in Europe, partly because of the silence which the Society generally maintained regarding its procedure, partly because of the difficulties with which further investigation of the facts was connected.
The name of the Batavian nation was indeed great and illustrious, which for two centuries had protected itself in India, and how great the power and authority of a people who were small and unarmed, but relied on trade, navigation, overseas colonies and all industry, is in an association of nations, has certainly never been more clearly revealed than by the example of the Confederated Batavian Provinces. The institution of the Batavian Society, although it is either too outdated in later times or no longer in accordance with the opinions and principles of our times, was necessary at the beginning of the Federated Batavian Republic for the growth of Batavian commerce."

(from the "Preface" by the Author)

Pieter Mijer (3 June 1812 – 6 February 1881) was a Dutch statesman and colonial administrator who served as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 28 December 1866 to 1 January 1872.

Pieter Mijer served as Minister of Colonial Affairs in the Netherlands from 1 January 1856 to 18 March 1858, during the Van der Brugghen and Van Hall-Arriëns cabinets, a period marked by transitional governance amid domestic political shifts. In this tenure, Mijer, drawing on his prior experience in colonial administration including roles as advocate-fiscal for the sea and land forces and member of the Council of the Dutch East Indies, focused on oversight of colonial policy, though specific legislative achievements from this phase remain limited due to its context.

Mijer returned to the position of Minister of Colonial Affairs on 1 June 1866 in the Van Zuylen van Nijevelt cabinet, serving until 17 September 1866 as an independent conservative with expertise in colonial matters. Appointed for his specialized knowledge of the Dutch East Indies, his role involved addressing immediate administrative challenges in the colonies shortly after the cabinet's formation; however, he resigned promptly upon his nomination and subsequent appointment as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, reflecting the interconnected nature of metropolitan and colonial governance at the time. These ministerial stints underscored Mijer's career trajectory toward high-level colonial authority, though neither term produced enduring policy reforms amid the era's political instability.

Born in Batavia to an Indies trader, Mijer built a career in the colony's judiciary and administration, including roles on commissions for shipping and penal codes, before holding ministerial positions in the Netherlands as Minister of Colonies in 1856–1858 and briefly in 1866. During his governorship, he staunchly defended the cultuurstelsel, the forced cultivation system that mandated Indonesian farmers to allocate land and labor for export crops benefiting Dutch interests, a policy rooted in practices he had known from youth. His tenure occurred amid ongoing debates over colonial exploitation, though specific reforms or events directly attributed to him remain sparsely documented in primary records beyond administrative continuity. After returning to the Netherlands in 1872, Mijer retired from public life without further prominent roles.

(https://grokipedia.com/page/pieter_mijer_governor)

"Dissertatio Historico-politica de Commercio et Internae Administrationis Forma Possessionum Batavarum in India Orientali Quam, Annuente Summo Numine, Ex Auctoritate Rectoris Magnifici, Caspari Georgii Caroli Reinwardt, Phil. Et Med. Doct. Et Prof. Ord. Amplissimi Senatus Academici Consensu, et Nobilissimae Facultatis Juridicae Decreto, Pro Gradu Doctoratus, Summisque in Jure Romano et Hodierno Honoribus AC Privilegiis, in Academia Lugduno-Batava, Rite et Legitime Consequendis, Publico et Solemni Examini Submittit Petrus Mijer, Batavia-Indus."; Amstelodami (Amsterdam), A.Zweesaardt, 1832; Original hardcover with marbled boards and cloth spine. Gilt titile to the spine; 21,5 x 13,5 cm; Text in Latin; Collation complete - Half title, Title page, XIV,(I), 138 pages, (1); The binding is tight and firm, overall well preserved for the age, with a slight signs of shelf wear. Boards and spine with minor bumping more to the extremities, boards slightly worn to the surface, with some discolouration. Hinges and joints are whole and secure, overall the binding is strong and stable. Pages/text block very clean and bright, with a slight yellowing, no markings or annotations, only a few pages with a few negligible and light foxing dots to white margins. Paste downs and free endpapers with some scattered foxing. A well preserved copy of this scarce work.

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