Letter from the King of Tonkin concerning the termination of the trading relation with the VOC, 10 February 1700

FROM : DAILY JOURNALS OF BATAVIA CASTLE,  10 FEBRUARY 1700 [BEGINNING WITH FOL. 81]

Translation of the missive from the King of Tonkin written to Their Excellencies the Supreme Government in Batavia.

Annam Cockong, King of the realm of Tonkin, sends this letter in answer to the Noble Lord Governor-General in Batavia Willem van Outhoorn and all the other Lord Councillors, wishing them good health and prosperity on Earth, as well as a rich harvest in their trade and that long may they live with their friends on affectionate terms and in sincere love.

As the King of Tonkin, raised to this state and dignity among the great ones of God in order to rule over his subjects in peace and unity and to ensure the latter a tranquil society and adequate livelihood, I have continuously endeavoured to govern my subjects and my realm according to God’s instructions, and their duty is to owe me their devotion and to obey me as their protector, which method of rule has enticed and attracted many strangers to my realm to trade and make a profit.

I have always favoured the most distant [of these] foreign merchants, and made much of them by treating them well in my realm, through which I have acquired the knowledge needed make a distinction between good and evil.

From the letter which the Governor-General and Councillors of [82] Asia have sent me, I have learned that they are displeased with me because I did not write (send a letter) by last year’s ship, and its absence seemed to indicate that I was displeased with them and that I no longer held them in any great respect. I testify that my respect is unwavering, and that hence it cannot be said that my friendship in this respect is in any way diminished because I have not written. I assure Your Excellency that I have never entertained any such thought. Indeed, the reason that I did not write was to relieve them of the trouble of having to write back to me. I have never said nor disclosed to anyone that I did not wish to write.

Your Excellency will also know, as we do, that God does not write to us, nor indeed [does He] speak to us. None the less, He governs everything under Heaven by the changing of the four seasons, and all we can do is to wonder and say nothing. What is the use of penning many letters? It is but paper which pleases the eyes, that is all.

Of all the foreign traders who frequent this realm for their profit and advantage, only Your Excellency’s subjects have been granted consent to build a brick edifice within the city, from which Your Excellency might [be able] to draw a conclusion about which people enjoy the greatest favour here.

In their most recent letter, the Governor-General and Councillors complain that your subjects who reside in my realm have suffered great annoyance when conducting their trade, which in some instances might indeed be true but your subjects have always been the cause and occasion of this.

My government is unanimous but not unilateral, wherefore in my realm care is taken that no one among my subjects nor any foreigner is subjected to any harassment, to which anyone who has experience of it can testify. As long they adhere to all my laws and obey [them], just as is the custom in Your Excellency’s territory and as in other kingdoms, and this is an incontrovertible truth which cannot be contradicted. Why Your Excellency’s subjects in my kingdom will not obey these enacted laws, but constantly seek to make shift with lies which cause me and my government to be suspicions of Your Excellency[?]

The laws of this kingdom dictate that foreigners must report the  commodities which they have brought without concealing anything at all, and  should anything untoward be found, the undeclared goods are declared forfeit, the which is always applied without discrimination.

However, to our belittlement, Your Excellency’s subjects attempt to trespass against our laws and smuggle and conceal more than half of the ready money and goods they bring here. When they are discovered, [we] have exercised our power and have proceeded against them in order to preserve our laws [83].

It is a well-known fact that Your Excellency’s subjects have resided in this kingdom for many long years and have carried on their trade, and have hardly ever had any quarrel with our ancestors, in contrast to what I have had to put up with for  these last few years. Your Excellency has taken the decision to summon your subjects to quit here and abandon my realm and trade which, as it is your will, I cannot oppose and must concede. Nevertheless, I trust that after Your Excellency has perused this letter thoroughly that the Governor-General and Councillors might change their minds.

Written in our Royal Court Senhoo in the twentieth year of my reign in the tenth month on the nineteenth day.