The French early modern empire is usually perceived as centralized and controlled by the monarchy. In her dissertation Elisabeth Heijmans probes below the surface of French overseas companies... Show moreThe French early modern empire is usually perceived as centralized and controlled by the monarchy. In her dissertation Elisabeth Heijmans probes below the surface of French overseas companies to reveal strategies and connections of individual actors. Through this study of French company directors it becomes apparent that these companies had other motivations and goals than economic profitability or institutional efficiency alone. Taking the points of view of the directors of the companies operating in Pondichéry (Coromandel Coast in India) and those active in Ouidah (Bight of Benin, West African Coast), Heijmans examines the inter-dependence between institutions and individual agency in the early modern French empire. This research showcases that the French early modern empire relied on cooperation with other European empires, on the participation of private merchants and on the integration in local political and trading context of overseas agents. This situation was made possible by leaving some space for individual agency inside the institutional organization of these companies. Through this focus, Heijmans contributes to a better understanding not only of the expectations of members of French companies but also to the goals of these companies, oriented towards offering a platform for individual agency to stimulate the expanding early empire. Show less
This book provides a grammatical description of Noon, an Atlantic language spoken by fewer than 32,000 people in 33 villages and neighborhoods in the outskirts of Thiès. The study, based primarily... Show moreThis book provides a grammatical description of Noon, an Atlantic language spoken by fewer than 32,000 people in 33 villages and neighborhoods in the outskirts of Thiès. The study, based primarily on new data collected by the author, provides an analysis on phonology, morphology, nominal classification, verbal system, ideophones, interjections and linguistic routines, syntax and divination systems. This work constitutes an important step forward in the nominal classification system. There are two nominal class systems in Noon: a Niger-Congo agreement system for modifiers that are attached to the head noun and another system for independent modifiers. The second nominal class system, based on human and diminutive semantic features, has an additional agreement singular/plural class pair for human nouns. The author also describes the divination practices in Noon by presenting an overview of divination systems in Senegal based on audio/video recordings collected in a natural setting. This empirical work, carried out in a linguistic and multimodal perspective, allows to focus first on the forms of divination of Noon, then on their meanings and expressions, and finally on some characteristic features in divination practices. Show less
Op 3 juni 1621 verleenden de Staten-Generaal het octrooi aan de West-Indische Compagnie waarmee zij het alleenrecht verwierf op de scheepvaart en handel in het Atlantisch gebied. Dit... Show moreOp 3 juni 1621 verleenden de Staten-Generaal het octrooi aan de West-Indische Compagnie waarmee zij het alleenrecht verwierf op de scheepvaart en handel in het Atlantisch gebied. Dit handelsmonopolie werd periodiek verlengd en zou betreft de handel op West-Afrika tot 1730 onveranderd van kracht blijven. Overtreding van het octrooi werd zwaar bestraft, maar desondanks werd dit handelsrecht stelselmatig door schepen uit de Republiek geschonden. Vooral na de heroprichting van de WIC in 1674 hebben Zeeuwse smokkelschepen dit handelsmonopolie op grote schaal ontdoken. Deze lorrendraaiers, zoals ze destijds werden genoemd, zeilden met snelle en wendbare schepen naar de West-Afrikaanse kust waar zij Europese koopwaren tegen Afrikaanse producten en slaven verhandelden. Voor de bestrijding van deze illegale goederen- en slavenhandel rustte de WIC kruisers uit die op de West-Afrikaanse kust patrouilleerden. Gedurende de laatste octrooiperiode (1700-1730) wisten compagnieschepen ruim vijftig lorrendraaiers op te brengen. Dat ging niet altijd zonder slag of stoot en bij deze schermutselingen vonden vele tientallen zeelieden de dood. In dit boek wordt de illegale goederen- en slavenhandel tijdens de laatste octrooiperiode van de WIC behandeld. Uit de onderzoeksresultaten blijkt dat de omvang daarvan veel omvangrijker is geweest dat tot nu toe werd aangenomen. Show less
