Original antique engraving by T Sutherland from an original painting by Whitcombe.
Published in 1816.
Original colour.
Theinvasion of the Spice Islandswas a military invasion by British forces that took place between February and August 1810 on and around the Dutch ownedMaluku Islands(or Moluccas) also known as the Spice Islands in theDutch East Indiesduring theNapoleonic wars.
By 1810 theKingdom of Hollandwas avassalofNapoleonic Franceand Great Britain along with theEast India Companysought to control the rich Dutch spice islands in theEast Indies. Two British forces were allocated; one to the island ofAmbonandTernate, then another force would capture the more heavily defended islands ofBanda Neira, following which any other island that was defended.
In a campaign that lasted seven months British forces took all of the islands in the region; Ambon was captured in February, Banda Neira in August and Ternate and all other islands in the region later that same month.
The British held on to the islands until the end of the war. After theAnglo-Dutch Treatyof 1814 the islands were handed back to the Dutch, but in the meantime theEast India Companyhad uprooted a lot of the spice trees fortransplantationthroughout theBritish Empire