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Aerial view of Cochin
Bird's eye view map of Cochin
Bird's eye view of the city of Cochin, India
Cochin at the time of the conquest by Van Goens, 1663
Conquest of Cochin by the Dutch
Cross-section of a dyke at Cochin
Detailed drawings of woodwork used for the Cochin defences
Elevations of the fortifications to the west and south of Cochin
Floor plan of the Cochin fort
Four views of Cochin
Malabar, Madure, Ceylon and the Maldives
Map of a part of the coast of Malabar
Map of Asia
Map of Asia
Map of Asia
Map of Asia and Australia
Map of Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia
Map of Caluetty and the shipyard east of Cochin
Map of Cochim, part B
Map of Cochin
Map of Cochin
Map of Cochin
Map of Cochin
Map of Cochin and environs
Map of Cochin and environs
Map of Cochin and environs
Map of Cochin and part of the island of Vypin
Map of Couchim
Map of East Indies
Map of Europe, Africa and Asia
Map of India
Map of India
Map of India to Japan
Map of Malabar, India
Map of Malabar, India
Map of part of the coast of Malabar
Map of South India
Map of southern India
Map of southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Map of southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Map of the city and fort at Cochin
Map of the city and the fort at Cochin
Map of the city of Cochin
Map of the city of Cochin
Map of the coast of Iran to the west coast of India
Map of the coast of Malabar, from Suratte to Cape Comorin
Map of the eastern part of the Indian ocean
Map of the eastern part of the Indian Ocean
Map of the fort and city of Cochin
Map of the fort and city of Cochin
Map of the fort and the city of Cochin
Map of the fort at Cochin
Map of the fortifications at Cochin
Map of the fortifications to the west and south of Cochin
Map of the fortifications to the west and south of Cochin
Map of the fortifications to the west and to the south of Cochin
Map of the Gulf of Bengal
Map of the Indian Ocean
Map of the Indian Ocean
Map of the Indian Ocean
Map of the Indian Ocean
Map of the Indian Ocean
Map of the Malabar coast
Map of the Malabar Coast
Map of the Malabar coast
Map of the Malabar coast and the coast of Decan
Map of the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean
Map of the river from Cochin to Chettua
Map of the South India
Map of the southern part of India
Map of the southern part of the Malabar coast
Map of the world
Map of the world in two globes
Plan for alterations to the fortifications at Cochin
Plan for alterations to the fortifications at Cochin
Plan for alterations to the fortifications at Cochin
Plan for alterations to the fortifications at Cochin
Plans for alterations to the fortifications at Cochin
Plans for changes to the fortifications at Cochin
Representation of the siege of Cochin in 1663
Scene from the conquest of Cochin
Sea chart of the west coast of Canara
Side views of the fort at Cochin
The arrival of Rijklof van Goens at Cochin.
The coasts of Malabar and Coromandel
The Malabar coast
View and ground maps of eight cities
View of Cochin
View of Cochin
View of Cochin
View of Cochin
View of the city of Cochin
View of the city of Cochin
View of the city of Cochin
View of the conquest of Cochin
View of the fort of Cochin

Portugal's base in Cochin dated from as early as 1503. There the Portuguese built Fort Manuel, the first European fort in India. Around a century and a half later, Cochin was captured by the VOC under the command of Rijcklof van Goens. Cochin subsequently expanded to become the Company's main base on the Malabar coast. The rajah of Cochin granted the Company a monopoly in pepper and cinnamon.A commander was based in Cochin to administer the whole of the Malabar coast on behalf of the VOC. However, the town was too large to enable it to be defended against enemies so it was reduced in size to within the surrounding walls. Many of the original Portuguese buildings were demolished or converted into warehouses. The VOC also built a hospital in Cochin, together with an orphanage and terraced housing for its workers and soldiers.In 1676 the Company acquired the pepper monopoly on the Malabar coast. But even this failed to give it control of all pepper production. However, this did not give it control of all pepper production. Because English merchants paid higher prices for their pepper, local traders preferred to sell to them rather than to the VOC. Corruption within the VOC ranks, as well as pepper smuggling to places outside the VOC's monopoly, caused profits to dwindle away completely in the 18th century.In 1663 Rijcklof van Goens dealt a telling blow to the Portuguese. One of the descendants of the old rajah applied to the VOC for aid against the Portuguese and his overlord, the ruler of Cochin. At first the Company only took Cochin because of its strategic importance - the Portuguese presence in the Malabar region was seen as a threat to the nearby island of Ceylon, which the VOC had recently acquired. From 1661 the Malabar coast was captured from the Portuguese piece by piece. Malabar remained under the jurisdiction of the governor of Ceylon until in 1663 it became an independent section under a commander based in Cochin.In 1795 Cochin fell to the English.