Disguised Power in the Dutch Empire

The Dutch empire in South Asia was a master of disguise. Dutch merchants, sent for trade,

ended up acting as local landlords and judges in places like Bengal and Sri Lanka.

They didn't just impose their own rules. Instead, they took over existing

systems, issuing land deeds in Bengali and Dutch, and using palm-leaf registers.

This paperwork controlled everything from land to labor. But locals learned to play the game.

One woman hid her land deed from a corrupt official and took her case straight to the

top director to save her house, proving that even in a disguised empire, a single document

held immense power.