Carel Reyniersz

Carel Reyniersz was a Dutch merchant and official who served as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1650 until 1653.

Reyniersz started his career as opperkkopman on the Dutch Coromandel (Karnataka) in 1627 and soon was promoted to the post of Governor of the Coromandel Coast in 1635. During his tenure, he was accused of engaging in private trading which was forbidden by the company’s policy. However, that didn’t prevent him of becoming Counsellor-extraordinary of the Dutch Council of the Indies the following year.

During his stay in the East he gained funds necessary to return to Amsterdam and establish himself as a merchant. After a brief and unsuccessful career in Amsterdam which resulted with the loss of his fortune, Reyniersz returned back to India in 1645.

He was appointed a full Counsellor of the Indies with the task to eliminate sources of competition, that is private trading and overproduction of spices. That inevitably led to the conflict with population which would not accept the destruction of their plantations.

In 1650 he was appointed Governor-General, but he was dismissed four years later due to the weakness of his rule and low achievements.