Ceylon was far more than an isolated Dutch possession. Its plantations, thriving cities, and trade made it a major economic hub through which imperial commerce was channelled. The island's central position in the Indian Ocean also made it strategically valuable. When Britain seized Trincomalee, the loss reached well beyond a single fort or harbour. It threatened the commercial system that helped sustain Dutch power overseas.
Chapter · 2:20-6:30
Ceylon as a Dutch imperial economic hub
The opening places Dutch Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, at the centre of an Indian Ocean trading empire before Britain moved to take it.