What was the largest commercial enterprise of the seventeenth century?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Dutch East India Company was the largest and most powerful commercial enterprise of the seventeenth century, with a virtual monopoly on trade in the Indian Ocean region and significant control over the spice trade in Southeast Asia. It had a fleet of ships and an army to protect its interests and colonies in places like Indonesia and South Africa. It became a model for other European trading companies and helped establish the Dutch Republic as a major economic power.

What Was the Largest Commercial Enterprise of the Seventeenth Century