Colonialism Vs. the Maratha Empire - Dutch and Maratha Empire

Dutch and Maratha Empire:

It was inevitable for the Dutch to have a contact with the Maratha rule when they established a factory in Vengurla. This factory was established in 1649 and the Dutch trade had flourished there. However their trade was affected adversely when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj attacked Kudal.

In 1665, the Mughal governor (subhedar) of Surat asked for help from the Dutch for destroying the Maratha naval force. However, the Dutch offered no help. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had allowed them to build a factory at Dabhol but for some reasons it never functioned. The political relations between the Dutch and the Marathas kept changing to suit the need of the time. The Dutch expected help from the Marathas to evacuate the British from Mumbai. The Marathas did not harm the Dutch factory when they ransacked Surat for the second time. Also during their Karnataka campaign the Marathas ensured the safety of the Dutch factory and also issued them trading permits. For these favours, the Dutch paid tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Dutch factories at Porto Novo/Parangipettai and Tegnapattam/Devanapattinam were left unharmed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.