Batavia and Jakarta

The old City Hall of Batavia ( Now Historical Museum of Jakarta) and the Drinking Fountain in the foreground ( Picture above)

The Dutch VOC arrived what was known then, Jayakarta in 1596 to trade. In 1619, the Dutch with Japanese mercenaries attacked and destroyed Jayakarta which was then ruled by Prince Jayawikarta. Jan Pieterszoon Coen, an accountant by profession, led the attack. Legend has it that J P Coen was "Mur Jang Kung", whom was considered by the native Javanese as a legenderay figure. As such, J P Coen and the VOC were not conquerors, but were returning natives. Incidentally, "Jang Kung" means the tall one. After the success of Coen, he renamed Jayakarta, Batavia - after the teutonic tribe that were ancestors of the Dutch. Batavia remained the city's name for over 350 years under the Dutch, until WW2, when the Japanese Occupation forces in 1942 renamed it back to Ja(ya)karta.

The VOC ( Vereenigde OostIndische Compagnie) was etablished in in 1602 as a Chartered Trading Company by the Dutch ( United East Indian Company) . During the declining years up to 1800s, it was coined as the VOC - Vergaan Ouden Corruptie ; perished by Corruption!