| Office | Governor of Dannemarksnagore
|
|---|---|
| Term start | 26 July 1702 |
| Term end | 28 October 1706 |
| Predecessor | Thomas Schmertz |
| Successor | Jacob Panck
|
| Born | Unknown |
| Born | Denmark–Norway |
| Died | 28 October 1706 |
| Place of death | Dannemarksnagore, Danish India
|
Johan Joachim MichelsenTemplate:Efn (alternatively spelled Michelson; Template:Died in) was a Danish assistant and governor of Dannemarksnagore from 26 July 1702 to his death on 28 October 1706.
Michelsen began as the Danish East India Company's chief assistant (Template:Lang) in the Danish colony of Tranquebar, and in 1702, he became governor of the Danish factory in Bengal, Dannemarksnagore, following Thomas Schmertz's resignation. During his tenure, the colony experienced economic difficulties, and he eventually became indebted to Armenian merchants, with whom he entered into various contracts for cargo.
Michelsen died in Dannemarksnagore on 28 October 1706, with his accounts in disorder, which had to be managed by his successor, Jacob Panck, and Christen Brun-Lundegaard.
Career
Johan Joachim Michelsen began his career in the Danish East India Company as chief assistant (Template:Lang) in the Danish colony of Tranquebar, being described as an old but thoughtful man. On 26 July 1702, Michelsen became opperhoved of the Danish factory of Dannemarksnagore in Bengal after the resignation of Thomas Schmertz, with a monthly salary of 25 Danish rigsdaler.Template:Sfn
Collaboration with Armenians
Contract regarding Dronning Louise
In 1703, he bought a ship from the Compagnie des IndesTemplate:Sfn named Dronning Louise, together with a couple of Armenian merchants.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Michelsen wanted to restore the Danish trade and viewed the Armenians as likely partners,Template:Sfn as the colony had economic difficulties.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Efn As a result, on 18 November 1703, a contract was made between the Danes and Armenians,Template:Sfn in which Dronning Louise would transport a whole Armenian cargo of mainly sugar worth 300,000 rupeesTemplate:Sfn for 5,920 rupees in return.Template:Sfn Dronning Louise was determined to depart from Kulpi for Bandar Abbas on 9 January 1704, and the Armenians blessed the ship and the coming voyage:Template:Sfn
Template:BlockquoteHowever, in 1704,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn the ship ran agroundTemplate:Sfn during its voyage near Palmyras Point in bad weather, making the Armenians lose half their cargo.Template:Sfn Hereafter, the Armenians requested the Mughal government to force the Danes to pay at least the 5,920 rupees back,Template:Sfn which Michelsen, however, could not repay, as he had mainly bought the ship with the Template:Abbr's moneyTemplate:Sfn without the approval of the Tranquebar's Privy Council (Template:Langx).Template:Sfn
Letter to Shah Soltan Hoseyn
Consequently, Michelsen's debt grew,Template:Sfn and with assistance from an Armenian, he subsequently sent a letter to the Shah of Iran, Soltan Hoseyn, requesting certain trading rights, which is mentioned in an anonymous memorandum to King Frederick IV of DenmarkTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn from between 1702 and May 1704:Template:Sfn
Soltan Hoseyn was very interested in establishing contact with King Frederick and, therefore,Template:Sfn agreed to the request if the Danes aided Persia against piracy in the Persian Gulf.Template:Sfn Particularly, the Danes were to provide a manned bomb vessel and fire ship, for which expenses Soltan Hoseyn was willing to pay;Template:Sfn nevertheless, despite aid being easily provideable, this proposal could not improve the Company's economy.Template:Sfn
Contract regarding Printz Jørgen
Afterwards, another contract was reached between the Danes and two Armenians on 19 May 1705 following some negotiations, in which the vessel Printz Jørgen was to transport an Armenian cargo worth 8,000 pagodas from Dannemarksnagore to Bandar Abbas.Template:Sfn Although the ship reached Tranquebar in the fall of 1705, it had almost no cargo in return.Template:Sfn
Similarly, in the fall of 1704,Template:Sfn the Gyldenløve was sent from DannemarksnagoreTemplate:Sfn to TranquebarTemplate:Sfn without cargo,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn which spread rumors that the ship was forced to use a ballast tank, instead of regular cargo, to stabilize itself.Template:Sfn These incidents damaged the Company's reputation,Template:Sfn which was mockingly said to have a "water trade" by other European companies in Bengal.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Accordingly, Michelsen is referred to as having acted arbitrarily,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn with Indian historian Lalit Mohan Mitra calling him incompetent and claiming he did little to further Danish trade in Dannemarksnagore.Template:Sfn Meanwhile, Danish colonial historian Kay Larsen says he was unlucky,Template:Sfn highlighting Dronning Louise's grounding.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Accounts and debt
Michelsen died in Dannemarksnagore on 28 October 1706Template:Sfn and was succeeded by Jacob Panck,Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn who started negotiating with Michelsen's creditors.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn After his death, an auction took place in Michelsen's house,Template:Sfn revealing that he had been practicing embezzlementTemplate:Sfn and that his accounts were in complete disorder,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn owning only 1,100 rupees while being in debt to multiple merchants, including Armenian Cossia Petrus, to whom he owed 6,243 rupees.Template:Sfn
Michelsen's debt eventually became a casus belli for the Mughal government to besiege Dannemarksnagore in 1707,Template:Sfn and most of his debt was paid in the same yearTemplate:Sfn by the later governor of Tranquebar, Christen Brun-Lundegaard,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn who confiscated Michelsen's belongings for 871 Danish rigsdaler, 8 fanam, and 30 cash.Template:Sfn
See also
Notes and citations
Notes
Citations
References
- Guvernører, residenter, kommandanter og chefer{{#if:Larsen|, Larsen}. Arthur Jensens Forlag(1940)
- De dansk-ostindiske koloniers historie – De Bengalske loger & Nikobarerne{{#if:Larsen|, Larsen}. Centralforlaget & Peter Hansens Forlag(1908)
- Die Dänen in Indien, Südostasien und China (1620-1845){{#if:Diller|, Diller}. Harrassowitz Verlag(1 June 1999). ISBN 978-3-447-04123-2
- The Danes in Bengal{{#if:Mitra|, Mitra}. Prabartak Publishers(September 1952)
- Sources of the History of North Africa, Asia and Oceania in Denmark{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. K. G. Saur Verlag(1980). ISBN 3-598-21474-X
- Uneasy Partnership. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient({Template:Date).