The Dutch East Indies, now known as Indonesia, was a Dutch colony from 1602 until 1949. The Dutch first arrived in the region in 1596, when they sent an expedition to find a route to the Far East. In 1602, the Dutch East India Company was founded, and the Dutch began to establish a presence in the region. The Dutch colony of Indonesia was the most profitable colony in the world for the Dutch, and it was ruled by a …