Brief summary of Dutch and

Danish settlements
COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE -IV

Dutch 1605-1825
Danish1620 -1869
 Dutch presence in India 1605 to 1825.
 Dutch East India Company first established themselves in Pulicat near Madras
 Dutch Surat and Dutch Bengal were established in 1616 and 1627 respectively.
 After the Dutch conquered Ceylon from the Portuguese in 1656, they took the Portuguese
forts on the Malabar coast five years later as well, to secure Ceylon from Portuguese
invasion.
 In 1650 ,the dutch had only factories in Kayyamkulam and Cannanore
 After defeating portuguese in 1663 , Cochin was the HQ for VOC in Malabar and quilon
was a fortified city.
 Cranganore was a little city with a small fort, Cannanore was a city with a strong fort called
Fort Sant’Angelo
 They ruled Malabar for more than 130 years and forced malabar rulers to sign contracts
with VOC for pepper and cinnamon.
 Unlike portuguese thay did not try to convert local people , but helped St Thomas
christians against roman catholic church
 The dutch compiled and publicised a monumental work of 12 volumes, on the medicinal
properties of malabar plants which remains unsurpassed to this day
 In cochin they established an orphanage , a leper asylum was built on vypeen island
 During dutch occupation they made several changes in the city.Developed harbour and
built piers
 They enlarged the palace built by portuguese at Mattancheri for the king of cochin and it
became famous as “ dutch palace”
 In 1744 the country house dutch governors was erected on bolghatti island and they also
built many merchants’ houses and warehouses in cochin
Mattancherry palace (Dutch palace) Mattancherry Palace, kochi
• This palace was built by the Portuguese
in 1557 as a gift to Raja Veera Kerala
Varma of Kochi..
• In 1663, the Dutch renovated the palace
and till date the place is known as the
Dutch Palace.
• The Mattancherry palace is a two-
storeyed edifice built in traditional Kerala
naalukettu (quadrangular) model.
• The four separate wings open into a
central courtyard. The courtyard houses
a temple of the royal deity Pazhayannur
Bhagavathi
• The elegant palace has a simple style,
has Coronation hall, royal bed chamber,
dining hall, assembly hall, ladies quarters
and the staircase room.
• The ceilings are decorated with wood
carved floral designs including the design
of an inverted lotus.
• The floor of the Palace is adorned with
one of the exceptional type of Kerala
flooring that although display a look of
polished black marble is in fact made of
a mix of burned coconut shells, plant
juices, charcoal, egg whites and lime
 . • From the outside,
Mattancherry palace (Dutch palace) the palace looks
European in
character with
scraped masonry
walls and round-
headed windows
and doors but its
sloping tiled roof
and wooden
balconies are
indigenous
features.
• The palace
has a fine
Vishnu Temple - Dutch Palace premises Way to Dutch Palace / Mattancherry
collection of
mural
paintings
depicting
scenes from
the Hindu
epics
Mahabharat
ha and
Ramayana
 Sakthan Thampuran Palace-1795

 Sakthan Thampuran Palace, ( Vadakkekara Palace) -Thrissur in Kerala state.

 The palace is in Kerala-Dutch architectural style built by Ramavarma Thampuran of the
erstwhile Princely State of Cochin and Sakthan Thampuran (Greatest ruler of the Cochin
dynasty).
 The palace is close to the Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur.
 The two-storyed elegant palace has a traditional Kerala style Nālukettu and is
characteristic of thick walls, high roof for free air circulation, large rooms, floors laid
with fine marbles.
 Sakthan Thampuran Palace

 The overall interior design of this palace

has comfortable living conditions inside
regardless of external weather conditions.
 The rulers of Mysore, Tipu sultan have
stayed here .
 There are tombs of ex-rulers in the vast
lush garden surrounding the building.
 During Ramavarma ‘s (1790AD -1805)
reign, he maintained cordial relations
with European powers including the
English and also with rulers of Mysore
and Travancore.
 In the year 2005, the Shakthan
Thampuran Palace was converted
to a Museum.
Sakthan Thampuran Palace

Dutch influences

view of the nalukettu from the top

view of the kitchens

 BOLGATTY PALACE

• Bolgatty Palace was formerly a Dutch palace built in 1744 A.D by a dutch
trader on Bolgatty island in Kochi , Kerala.
• The palace is one of the oldest dutch palaces outside netherlands.

• The building was then the Governor's palace for the commander of Dutch
Malabar
• It was leased to the British in 1909 and served as the home of british
governors during the British Raj.
• The palace, in an 8-acre property with lawns and old trees, carries the
scent of Dutch architecture. The wooded property with large halls, strong
pillars, tiled roofs and wooden-framed glass windows .
 Bolgatty Palace

Bolgatty Place Rear Side

Bolgatty Palace Side View

 St Francis church fort Kochi

St Francis church fort Kochi

• Constructed in 1503, St Francis Church in
Kochi is one of the oldest churches in India.
• Originally, this church housed the body of
Vasco da Gama in 1524 since he passed
away in Kochi. But 14 years later it was
moved to Lisbon, Portugal.
• The church features the European style of
architecture.
• The magnificent structure of the church has
a timber framed room decked with tiles.
• Beautiful wooden carvings and numerous
Portuguese and Dutch inscriptions are
• . found inside the church.
• The two pinnacles on either side of the
church gives it a traditional look.
• The church has been under the control of
portuguese, dutch and british during
various european conflicts.
UDAYAGIRI FORT
• The fort in Tamil Nadu is located in Nagercoil , Kanyakumari dist.
• The fort was rebuilt during the reign of Marthanda Varma, between 1741-44 under the
supervision of E. De Lannoy, naval commander of the Dutch East India Company, who
later served as the Chief of the Travancore Army
• Enclosing an area of about 90 acres (36 ha), including an isolated 260 feet (79 m), the
fort contains an old foundry which was used for casting guns
• The fort is built of massive granite blocks around an isolated hillock.
• The tombs of the Dutch Admiral E. De Lannoy, (Dillanai Kottai— De Lennoy's Fort), and
of his wife and son can still be found inside a partly ruined chapel in the fort
 • Down the road from St Francis
DUTCH CEMETERY-Kochi Church, stands the Dutch
Cemetery.
• The cemetery, which was
consecrated in 1724, is
believed to be the oldest in
the country.
• The cemetery, built in the
style of the Dutch architecture
of the time carry the
authentic records of hundreds
of people of Dutch and British
nationality.
• Most tombs are made of
granite and red laterite and
have no cross.
• There are big as well as small
tombstones and the
inscriptions on the epitaphs
are in the old Dutch script.
• the last person who was laid
to rest in this cemetery was
Captain Joseph Ethelbert
Winckler. His burial took place
in 1913.
Danish settlements in India (1620-1868)
• Denmark–Norway held colonial possessions in India for more than 200 years, including the
town of Tharangambadi in present-day Tamil Nadu state, Serampore in present-day West
Bengal, and the Nicobar Islands
• The Danish presence in India was of little significance to the major European powers as they
presented neither a military nor a mercantile threat.
• They managed to cling to their colonial holdings and carved out a valuable niche in
international trade by taking advantage of wars between larger countries and offering
foreign trade under a neutral flag.
• The growth in British naval power led to the occupation and forced sale of the Danish
holdings (serampore,tranquebar and most minor settlements) during the nineteenth
century, the key dates being 1839, 1845, and 1868.
• By 1625 a factory had been established at Masulipatnam , the most important emporium in
the region.
• Danish East India Company became bankrupt in 1648.
• Trade between Denmark and Tranquebar resumed after new Danish East India Company
was formed((1670–1772).
• The expansion of the British into South India led to Tranquebar becoming a hub for
missionary activity for some time and a place particularly known for training native priests.
S.Olav’s church…Serampore
• St. Olav’s Church from 1806 today remains as
one of the most significant relics of the time
when Serampore was under Danish
management and known by the name of
Frederiksnagore.
• The architecture of the church is not
characteristically Danish but reflects the close
connections Serampore had with the British
in Calcutta – home to the similar churches of
St. John’s and St. Andrew’s.
• The inspiration for this type of church stems
from St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London,
which for many years was the standard
reference for British church buildings.
• The roof of the church is flat and the front is
characterized by an open portico with double
columns.
• The broken cornice on the front is decorated
with the royal monogram of Christian VII,
who was King of Denmark when the church
was consecrated.
• Above the portico is a square bell tower,
which also holds a town clock.
S.Olav’s church…Serampore
 Danish Influences……

Zion church
The Zion church was A gateway inscribed with a Danish Royal Seal
consecrated in 1701, which is
the oldest Protestant church
in India
FORT DANSBORG

• The construction of fort Dansborg , an

example of Scandinavian military
architecture in 1620.
• The fort is the 2nd largest danish fort .
• The lower compartment in the
basement adjoining the fort was used
as a store room , prison,and a rest
room for the soldiers , while the
governor and priests reside on the 2nd
level.
 FORT DANSBORG

• The original rectory are now the store rooms located in the
right wing.
• The core of the building is made of brick.
• The main door of the fort faces north ,while an additional
door faces the east.The staircase leading to 2nd floor is
made of bricks , wherin guard rooms are located.
• The central part of the fort has 4 camel hump shaped
domes.
• The central pillar of the hall holds the entire weight of the
domes.
• The citadel encloses a set of buildings, the fort built in
1620, masilamani nathar temple in 13th century,Zion
church in 1701, new jerusalem church built in 1718,town
gateway built in 1792,danish governor bungalow built in
1784.
• The settlement inside the citadel is modeled like a small
european town with a land gate and wooden doors
leading to the main street….king’s street.
• Some of the notable buildings in king’s street are gate
house, port master’s house , rehling’s house and
Muhldorff’s house.
• The bastions of the fort are constructed with black stone
and the entry to this town is through an impressive 200
year old town gate
 FORT DANSBORG

• The danish used the port as the main trading post for the
colony.
• Tranquebar has a unique legacy.The 1st protestant missionaries
set foot in India and they opened the 1st printing press of India
here.
• Fort Dansborg is built in danish style , characterised by large
halls ,columned structures,high ceilings,and projecting drapery.
• Length of the fort is 200ft , width is 36ft. It is trapezoidal in
shape with 3 rooms in the left wing originally used as
governor’s residence,a kitchen ,a church room which is now
used as a museum in the centre of the building
Bungalow on the beach..Tranquebar

• Primarily a fishing village, the legacy

of the Dano-Norwegian colonial
presence can be seen in the
architecture of the small town that
lies within the boundaries of the old
(and long gone) city walls.
• Most of the town's residential
buildings are in classical styles and
can be dated to danish era.
• a number of colonial bungalows,
two churches and principally – the
Dansborg Fort, constructed in 1620.
• In 1718, The New Jerusalem
Church was constructed
House on Gold smith street
Gate house on King’s street
Bungalows on King street
Governor’s
bungalow(1784)
 NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH (1718)
• In 1717, Governor Christian Brun laid the foundations
of the New Jerusalem Church, Tranquebar.
• A copper plate Danish inscription to this effect was
placed.
• Duty-free status for the materials used for building
the church.
• Two master artisans to oversee the work. The New
Jerusalem Church was consecrated on 11 October
1718.
• The sermons during the consecration were preached
in Tamil and Portuguese