Technologies of a trading empire: Dutch introduction of water- and windmills in early-modern Asia, 1650s-1800

This article deals with the introduction of European wind- and watermill technology by the Dutch in Asia, and it links this development to the gradual shift from a trading empire to a territorial state. The article evaluates how this technology fitted in with Asian technologies, why the Dutch trading company invested so much money and energy in keeping the new technology working, and how this technology had to be adapted to local circumstances, particularly to the new physical environment. It also looks at indigenous reactions and the role of indigenous labor