Profitable partnerships: The Chinese business elite and Dutch lawyers in the making of Semarang

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-245
Author(s):  
Peter Post
Keyword(s):  
Law Firm ◽  
Business World ◽  
Colonial State ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
Business Elite ◽  
Business Interests ◽  
Chinese Business ◽  
Coolie Trade ◽  
Economic Imperialism ◽  
The City

This article examines the collaboration between the law firm of C.W. Baron van Heeckeren from Semarang and the Oei Tiong Ham Concern (OTHC). From the 1880s this Dutch law firm became the centre of a close-knit group of Dutch lawyer-entrepreneurs who through interlocking business directorships developed important sectors of the Javanese economy and the city of Semarang. In doing so Van Heeckeren and his associates teamed up with the Chinese business elite of the port-city. In particular they worked with the foremost Overseas Chinese capitalist, Major Oei Tiong Ham, developing profitable partnerships. The Dutch lawyers acted not only as his legal advisors, but developed his sugar empire as directors-shareholders, held major stakes in his shipping business and coolie trade, and profited from his opium trade. They moreover helped Oei Tiong Ham to acquire real estate and enterprises formerly belonging to powerful Chinese opium farmers and collaborated with him in developing infrastructural and housing projects. This article provides new and revealing details about how the business world of colonial Java worked during the early phase of Dutch economic imperialism and how the Chinese business elite seized the opportunities provided by the Dutch colonial state to advance their business interests.

Origins of a Modern Indian Capitalist Class in Bombay

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Boehme
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Western India ◽  
Early 19Th Century ◽  
Business Elite ◽  
Business Interests ◽  
Commercial Networks ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
The City

In India, as in much of the world, the 19th century witnessed the emergence of urban capitalist classes, effected by the rapid growth of global mercantile capitalism and, later, industrial manufacturing. As a colonial city, Bombay—like its eastern counterpart, Calcutta—developed two connected, but distinct business communities: one, a European community with foreign, imperial connections, and the other, an Indian community with roots in long-standing regional networks. In Bombay, the latter took the form of a class known as the “Merchant Princes,” who capitalized on long-standing commercial traditions in western India and their ability to command both Indian and colonial networks to establish themselves as commercial powerhouses. These commercial networks and patterns of behavior, established before the arrival of the British, had an indelible impact on the character of Indian business in colonial Bombay. The business community brought such traditions with them when they migrated to Bombay at the end of the 18th century and used them to build the famous mercantile firms of the early 19th century. The Indian business elite likewise built collaborative links within their own community to expand their business interests; when barriers erected by the colonial establishment sought to limit their expansion, Indian businessmen used the resources at their disposal (both in the Indian hinterland and within the city itself) to circumvent them. Class identity similarly began to emerge as they cooperatively campaigned for particular agendas, intended to improve the fortunes of the entire community. They fought for greater influence in the Bombay government—in line with the wealth they then commanded—and used their financial resources to mold the physical and intellectual landscape of the city in their favor.

Museum Preserves in the Sphere of “Cultural Tourism”: Through the Example of the Cultural Preserves of Tatarstan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-198
Author(s):  
Lyudmila S. Timofeeva ◽  
Albina R. Akhmetova ◽  
Liliya R. Galimzyanova ◽  
Roman R. Nizaev ◽  
Svetlana E. Nikitina
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
Art Museum ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Business Elite ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Tourist Center ◽  
Regional Authorities ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
The City

Abstract The article studies the existence experience of historical cities as centers of tourism development as in the case of Elabuga. The city of Elabuga is among the historical cities of Russia. The major role in the development of the city as a tourist center is played by the Elabuga State Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve. The object of the research in the article is Elabuga as a medium-size historical city. The subject of the research is the activity of the museum-reserve which contributes to the preservation and development of the historical look of Elabuga and increases its attractiveness to tourists. The tourism attractiveness of Elabuga is obtained primarily through the presence of the perfectly preserved historical center of the city with the blocks of integral buildings of the 19th century. The Elabuga State Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve, which emerged in 1989, is currently an object of historical and cultural heritage of federal importance. Museum-reserves with their significant territories and rich historical, cultural and natural heritage have unique resources for the implementation of large partnership projects. Such projects are not only aimed at attracting a wide range of tourists, but also stimulate interest in the reserve from the business elite, municipal and regional authorities. The most famous example is the Spasskaya Fair which revived in 2008 in Elabuga. It was held in the city since the second half of the 19th century, and was widely known throughout Russia. The process of the revival and successful development of the fair can be viewed as the creation of a special tourist event contributing to the formation of new and currently important tourism products.

scholarly journals Towards Smart Urban Regeneration: Findings of an Urban Footprint Survey in Port Louis, Mauritius

Smart Cities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaheer Allam ◽  
A. Dhunny ◽  
Gaëtan Siew ◽  
David Jones
Keyword(s):  
Field Survey ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Urban Regeneration ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
Young Professionals ◽  
The Government ◽  
The City ◽  
City Centres ◽  
Urban Footprint

The Smart City Scheme, as part of the Smart Mauritius initiative, adopted by the Government of Mauritius in 2014, heavily incentivised the emergence of new smart cities in greenfields. The resulting migration of business and residents from existing cities to new cities affected the liveability standard of existing cities and encouraged property speculation. This shift reduced home pricing affordability further from the grasp of young professionals. With the Mauritian Landlord and Tenant Act of 1999 discouraging investment in Mauritian city centres, property developers were additionally encouraged to invest in housing projects in these emerging Smart Cities. As part of the Smart Urban Regeneration strategy of Port Louis that sought to reduce competition between new and existing cities, the provision of housing was seen as paramount to enabling the Smart Cities concept as promoted by the Government. The findings of this paper, which explores the urban footprint of Port Louis through field survey, provides insights, as to the components of the city, that can assist policy-makers and developers to better shape projects that are more responsive to the Smart Urban Regeneration plan.

scholarly journals Casa permeável: uma metodologia projetual alternativa para a concepção de uma habitação unifamiliar

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Gustavo Streck Severo ◽  
Ricardo De Souza Rocha ◽  
Samuel Silva de Brito
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Planning Method ◽  
Single Family ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
Specific Outcome ◽  
Family Housing ◽  
The City ◽  
Santa Maria

Permeable House is the title of the present paper produced for the “Projeto III” course at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (Campus Cachoeira do Sul) as part of the Architecture and Urbanism program in the first semester of 2017, related to single family housing projects. Facing the traditional single-family dwelling, we were guided by a unique work methodology that emphasizes certain requests and elicits a mindset concerned about unexpected vital issues. This paper aims to present the specific features of this design planning method towards a specific outcome: Permeable house – an experimental alternative to the usual organization of house designing – identifying the refreshed understanding of architecture from the point of view of this methodology that emphasizes the structure – and the opportunity of designing it along with the initial concerns over form –, the city – considering architecture as an entity that creates the urban space – and the environment – highlighting the role architecture has when it comes to dialoguing with its natural and built surroundings.

Family businesses, working lives and civic activism

2020 ◽  
pp. 49-91
Author(s):  
Alice Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Business Culture ◽  
Business Elite ◽  
Civic Activism ◽  
Working Lives ◽  
History Of ◽  
The City

This chapter looks at the role of the business community and charts both the business and civic activity of members of the Belfast business elite. It gives overview of the economic and business culture in which the middle-classes lived and worked. Rather than an economic history of the city, it offers a people-centric view of the city and its economic environment. The focus is on three lesser-known business families of Belfast – the Workmans, Corrys and McCances. Particular attention is paid to the Workman and Corry businesses which together highlight the close-knit nature of the local economy, the interrelatedness of family businesses and the strong connections between industrialists in Belfast and their counterparts in Scotland. Like many of Belfast’s industrial elite, the Presbyterian Workman and Corry families moved to the up-and-coming town at the very beginning of the century to take advantage of the opportunities it had to offer. The first part of the chapter outlines these family businesses and the ways in which they were representative of the city’s business elite. The second part of the chapter discusses the civic activism in which these and other middle-class families engaged.

scholarly journals Pepys’s plague: How the reaction of the individual, society and the medical profession to the Great Plague of 1665 is similar to our experience of Covid-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 096777202094878
Author(s):  
Conor Mosli-Lynch ◽  
Nicholas O'Shaughnessy
Keyword(s):  
Medical Profession ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Official Statistics ◽  
Business Interests ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The City ◽  
Samuel Pepys

Introduction The celebrated diarist Samuel Pepys kept a detailed diary of exceptional candour throughout the years of The Great Plague of 1665, in which he recorded his own observations as well as the reactions of society and the medical profession to this unprecedented event. In this paper we examine his diaries at the time of the plague, as well as in the proceeding years and consider how the experiences of Pepys are similar to our own experiences of the 2020 Coronavirus Epidemic. Method We examined the entire diaries of Samuel Pepys from 1664 to 1670, as well as supplementary source material, looking for all references to The Great Plague. Results and Conclusion: Though written over 350 years ago the diaries paint a very co-orientated response of society to The Plague. Accurate official statistics were available weekly, isolation was imposed and the government made provision for ‘pest houses' to be set up. Pepys is grateful to the doctors who remain in London but critical of the majority who flee the city. Pepys's own reactions, which progress from fear of contracting the disease to fear for his business interests, mirror today's reaction to The 2020 Coronavirus Epidemic.

Seclusion boundaries as interface in contemporary Istanbul housing

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-44
Author(s):  
Canay Tunçer Yıldırım
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
Modern Period ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Urban Problems ◽  
The City ◽  
Housing Units

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test and present the level of introversion/extroversion of the urban housing in Istanbul in three periods – traditional, modern and contemporary. It intends to examine changes in the boundaries between housing and urban environment in the city by evaluating housing interfaces and their components. Design/methodology/approach By adopting literature review, observation and comparison methods, the hypothesis that houses in Istanbul are becoming introvert in contemporary period is stated and tested. The qualifications of housing interfaces and their components are examined in the context of three different periods of housing – traditional, modern and contemporary. Common components of interfaces in all periods are identified and different housing types from all periods are compared accordingly. Findings The results of the comparison made within the study shows that contemporary housing units are much more introvert than previous periods in Istanbul, while housing units of modern period have the most potentiality to be extrovert. It is seen that the analysis method comparing interfacial components and its results are compatible with the hypothesis of the study. Originality/value Considering recent and great number of urban problems in Istanbul, the subject of introversion–extroversion in contemporary urban housing gains importance, which lacks in the literature and needs studying. Introversion of housing units affects both domestic life and their urban environment. Developing contemporary housing projects with a human ecological perspective would cure both interior and exterior of urban boundaries.

‘Pillaging Jesus’: healing churches and the villagisation of Kinshasa

Africa ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
René Devisch
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Satellite Communication ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
The Body ◽  
Moral Integrity ◽  
Colonial State ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The City

In Kinshasa thousands of prophetical churches of the Holy Spirit, particularly those in the Koongo area, fill in the ethical gap left, according to the people, by the marginalisation of traditional authority in the city, as well as the failure of civilisationist ‘white’ models, such as the collapse of public health and education sectors, and the dissolution of the State party. Confronted with economic collapse and miserable conditions in urban areas, these charismatic healing churches deconstruct the colonial and missionary heritage that ‘invented Africa’ in a white mirror, and the evolutionist utopia relating to modern progress. The dogmatic use that they make of biblical texts, their immoderate liturgy, and above all their ostentatious healing rituals parody and ridicule people's experience of post-colonial state constraints, the dichotomisation of the society operated by Christian conversion, and postcolonial mirrors opposing modernity and reactionary tradition, Christian values and pagan life. Healing churches deconstruct the daily seduction of the town folk by hedonistic ideals of capitalist consumption and Northern television channels which control the world. The Holy Spirit, as a substitute for the ancestral spirit, expresses itself in an heterodox manner and with multiple voices in the shape of glossolalia, dreams, and trance. During these very intense celebrations these communities, through the spirit, remobilise and, in particular, reinforce interpersonal links woven through the care of the body and from the mother within the matrifocal community or the matri-centered villagisation operating in the city. Here, in the daily quest for survival, people reassert their sense of criticism and community in the face of the fragments of state and tribal structures as well as their desire for moral integrity and sharing. And, above all, in this process of villagisation, healing churches recycle as symbolic capital the so-called forces of western imperialism, and particularly those which come from written material and electronics: the Bible, money, television, and satellite communication.

The Native-Born Protestant Elite’s Bid for Control in the 1870s

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Mitrani
Keyword(s):  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Municipal Government ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
City Government ◽  
Chicago Police Department ◽  
Business Elite ◽  
Chicago Police ◽  
The City

This chapter examines how the Chicago Police Department figured in the native-born Protestant elite's attempt to control urban life in the city during the 1870s. In the 1870s, it became increasingly clear that the promise of “free labor” would not be met. Native-born Protestant urban elites across the country felt as if the cities were slipping into the grasp of immigrant workers and unemployed vagrants. This chapter describes the efforts of Chicago's traditional native-born, Protestant urban elite to enforce stricter temperance laws, regulate economic life, especially construction, and gain tighter control over the municipal government itself. It begins with a discussion of the responses of Chicago's business elite and politicians, the city government, and the police to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 as well as to the fear of crime that gripped Chicago in the summer of 1872. It then considers the Committee of Seventy's attempts to control the police and their divided stance over temperance and concludes with an assessment of the power struggle in the Chicago Police Department that would continue through 1873.

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