View source for Pieter Both

{{Short description|Dutch colonial governor}}
{{about|the first Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies|the mountain named after him|Pieter Both (mountain)}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
| name                = Pieter Both
| image               = Pieter_Both.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| caption             = Portrait of Pieter Both
| order               = 1st
| office              = Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
| term_start          = 19 December 1610
| term_end            = 6 November 1614
| predecessor         = ''Position established''
| successor           = [[Gerard Reynst]]
| birth_date          = 1568
| birth_place         = [[Amersfoort]], [[Spanish Netherlands]]
| death_date          = 6 March 1615
| death_place         = [[Indian Ocean]] (near [[Mauritius]])
}}

'''Pieter Both''' (1568 – 6 March 1615) was the first [[Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies]].

Not much is known of his early years. In 1599, Both was already an admiral in the [[New Company|New, or Brabant Company]]. In that year, he traveled to the [[East Indies]] with four ships. When the newly founded [[Dutch East India Company]] set up a government for the [[Dutch East Indies]], Pieter Both was invited to become the Governor-General. He held that position from 19 December 1610 to 6 November 1614. During that period he concluded contracts with the [[Maluku Islands|Moluccans]], conquered [[Timor]], and drove the [[Spain|Spaniards]] out of [[Tidore]].

After he relinquished his position as Governor-General to [[Gerard Reynst]], he left for the [[Netherlands]] with four ships. Two of the ships were shipwrecked in [[Mauritius]] at Flic-en-Flac, and Pieter Both drowned.

The second highest mountain of [[Mauritius]] is named [[Pieter Both (mountain)|Pieter Both]] after him.As well as a mountain peak and associated village in the Cirque de Cilaos on Réunion Island.

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Pieter Both}}
*[http://www.vocsite.nl/geschiedenis/personalia/both.html A short biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201220117/https://www.vocsite.nl/geschiedenis/personalia/both.html |date=2023-02-01 }} in Dutch, and a picture

{{VOC Governors}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Both, Pieter}}
[[Category:1568 births]]
[[Category:1615 deaths]]
[[Category:Governors-general of the Dutch East Indies]]
[[Category:Deaths by drowning]]
[[Category:People from Amersfoort]]

[[Category:17th-century Dutch East Indies people]]