biography
pronunciation:
[hohkhendaw(r)p]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1761–1822)
|
| biography:
| Dutch politician, born in Heenvliet, SW Netherlands. He went to the Netherlands East Indies as a naval officer and took up service with the United East India Company (VOC). By 1794 he was in charge of East Java, but he wanted to reform land tenure and taxes, and quarrelled with Nederburgh, the VOC's legal representative, who had him arrested in 1798. In 1799 he escaped to the Netherlands and entered the service of the Batavian Republic. In 1802 both he and Nederburgh were on the advisory committee on government and trade policy in the Indies. He wished government income to be derived from land tax in kind, based on capitation, and to free the Javanese from all forms of forced labour, which was rejected by the majority, including Nederburgh. He continued in various diplomatic errands, and in 1810 was ADC to Napoleon with the rank of divisional general and count, and made governor of Hamburg. He was loyal to Napoleon in the 100 days. In 1817 he went to Brazil, where he bought a plantation which failed after he freed all the slaves, who then refused to work for wages. Napoleon left him 100 000 francs, but it came too late and he died a pauper. |
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