Danish East India Company


The Danish East India Company refers to two separate Danish-Norwegian chartered companies. The first company operated between 1616 and 1650. The second company existed between 1670 and 1729, however, in 1730 it was re-founded as the Asiatic Company.

First company

The first Danish East India Company was chartered in 1616 under King Christian IV and focused on trade with India. The first expedition, under Admiral Gjedde, took two years to reach Ceylon, losing more than half their crew. The island had been claimed by Portugal by the time they arrived but on 10May 1620, a treaty was concluded with the Kingdom of Kandy and the foundation laid of a settlement at Trincomalee on the island's east coast. They occupied the colossal Koneswaram temple in May 1620 to begin fortification of the peninsula before being expelled by the Portuguese. After landing on the Indian mainland, a treaty was concluded with the ruler of the Tanjore Kingdom,
Raghunatha Nayak, who gave the Danes possession of the town of Tranquebar, and permission to trade in the kingdom by treaty of 19November 1620. In Tranquebar they established Dansborg and installed Captain Roland Crappé as the first governor of Danish India. The treaty was renewed on 30July 1621, and afterwards renewed and confirmed on the 10May 1676, by Shivaji the founder of the Maratha Empire.
During their heyday, the Danish East India Company and Swedish East India Company imported more tea than the British East India Company, smuggling 90% of it into England, where it could be sold at a huge profit. Between 1624-36, Danish trade extended to Surat, Bengal, Java, and Borneo, with factories in Masulipatam, Surat, Balasore and at Java, but subsequent European wars in which Denmark participated ruined the Company, and trade in India ceased entirely between 1643–69, during which time all previous acquisitions were lost except Tranquebar, which held out until aid from Denmark arrived in 1669.

Second company, 16701729

In 1670, a second Danish East India Company was established- The first board of directors consisted of then-retired admiral Cort Adeler, vice president of Kommercekollegiet Jens Juel, Admiralty Councillor Paul von Klingeberg, Supreme Court justice Thomas Fincke, Supreme Court justice Peder Pedersøn Lerche and stamped-paper manager Albert Heintz.
Back in 1668, the naval ship HDMS Færø had already been sent to Tranquebar. In 1670, Dansborg was ceded to the company. In 1674, Sivert Adeler was installed as the new governor of Danish India. In 1682, he was replaced by Axel Juel.
The company found itself unable to finance any expeditions between 1721 and 1725. The result was that private expeditions were tolerated in return for the payment of a fee to the company. It too was dissolved in 1729.

Ships

Kiøbenhavn and Christian Christianshavn Flyvende Ulv Cron Printz Christian and Den gyldne Løve Elephant The ship was lost on 15 August 1750 in "Mosele Bay", near the Cape of Good Hope. There were 35 survivors; they were rescued by Onwerkirk. Elephant was on a voyage from Tranquebar, India to Copenhagen.Grev Moltke Nicobar Sunk 1783 with load of Swedish Plate Money.
  • Disco, frigate built for the Danish navy and named for Disko Island, but transferred to Danish EIC before maiden voyage.
  • Hussar, purchased 1783.
  • Holsten (I), renamed from Det Store Bælt, declared unseaworthy and condemned at Mauritius in 1807
  • Holsten (II) purchased in 1806 from the French at Mauritius and renamed to replace Holsten. Seized by the British on the Hooghly in January 1808. Six other Danish ships were seized at the same time