The VOC was a private company that wielded extraordinary power, including the authority to wage wars, negotiate treaties, mint coins, and govern overseas territories, all in the pursuit of profit. Its operations, coordinated through a centralized administration in Amsterdam, were often marked by violence as it used force to secure trade monopolies, subdue local populations, and eliminate competitors.
The VOC established a presence in Taiwan, then known as Formosa, in 1624. The Dutch aimed to use the island as a base for trade with China and Japan, as well as to exert control over regional shipping routes. The VOC's rule lasted until 1662, when they were ousted by Koxinga, a Ming loyalist who sought to use Taiwan as a base for resistance against the Qing dynasty.