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About 70 years later another milestone was recorded with the arrival of the Dutch at the port and the founding of the United East India Company in 1602. Their incentive was the precious spice commodity which they planned to harvest and sell to boost their coffers. The Dutch renamed the port ‘Batavia’ and in 1635 walled in the canal city to keep out invaders.
Between 1811 and 1816, the British took over from the Dutch but handed it back to them after their short spell. The Dutch continued to rule until World War II, when the Japanese took over administration. When the Japanese withdrew from the country on 14 August 1945 Indonesia gained its independence and Sœekarno became its first Prime Minister.