The Dutch East India Company was chartered in 1602.
Known by its Dutch initials, VOC, the company was created on 20 March 1602 when the States General of the Dutch Republic united several smaller trading ventures. Its charter granted the new company a 21-year monopoly over Dutch trade east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of the Strait of Magellan.
The VOC was more than a commercial enterprise. It could build forts, maintain armies, negotiate treaties, wage war, administer territory, and mint money. These quasi-governmental powers helped it dominate parts of the Asian spice trade, especially nutmeg, mace, and cloves.
A common mix-up is confusing the VOC with the English East India Company, which was founded in 1600. The Dutch company remained active until it was dissolved and nationalized in 1799.