This paper investigates the encounters, exchanges and trade
practices in the historical ‘East Indies’. Of particular interest is the
participation of Finns in the Swedish East India Company’s trade voyages to
China in the mid-18^th century. Whereas existing research is abundant
on the English, Dutch and Portuguese East India Companies originating from core
economies of the time, there is less literature on the non-seafaring nations, such
as Finland that was a peripheral eastern part of the Kingdom of Sweden. Located
far away from the main marine trade routes, Finns had relatively few direct
linkages to China. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the role
of Finns in the Swedish East India Company, as well as the impacts of the trade
voyages on 18^th century Finland. Drawing from archive materials in
Sweden and Finland, it is found that surprisingly many Finns worked for the Company
whose fleet sailed to Canton to buy tea, silk and porcelain. Most Finnish
seafarers were common seamen, but there were also a number of officers serving the
company. Based on Finnish cadet Israel Reinius’ detailed diary from a voyage to
China in 1745-48, the paper discusses the encounters between foreign and local
merchants in Canton and the trade practices applied. The impacts of the trade
voyages on Finland are explored from written sources as well as Finnish museum collections
of East Indian artefacts. In addition to material impacts such as the spread of
East Indian products to Finland, there were notable immaterial influences.
These include the first Finnish dissertation on China written by cadet Reinius,
as well as the overall increase of knowledge on faraway places. Perhaps the
major influence was an unforeseen collection of Chinese porcelain, silk, and
foodstuffs brought by Finnish supercargo Peter Johan Bladh, as well as an
increased scientific, economic and societal understanding that he transmitted
from the international circles to Finland. Bladh served the Company for two
decades, lived in Canton for six years, and upon returning back home became a
prominent figure in the Finnish economic life. The paper contributes to prior research
on East India Companies by discussing the flow of goods, ideas, and knowledge
from economic core regions into peripheral ones.