Born with Amersfoort in 1568 and died with the Mauritius the March 6th 1615, Pieter Both , was the first Governor-General of the the Indies Dutchwomen.

The December 21st 1599, it leaves the Netherlands bound for the India with the command of four ships of a commercial company Dutchwoman, the Brabantsche Compagnie . Only the Nederland and the Verenigde Landen reach the town of Bantam on the island of Java the August 6th 1600, the Nassau and the Hof van Holland having lost their trace the April 26th same year.

The following year, Both embarks for the Europe with two other ships. The Hof van Holland and the Verenigde Landen also take the way of the return in November of this same year 1601 under the command of Paulus van Caerden.

Little time after are created the Compagnie Dutchwoman the Eastern Indies (V.O.C.). It quickly founds an authority in the colonies Dutchwomen made up of a Governor-General as well as " Parliament of the Indies ". This same Company asks Pieter Both to become the first Governor-General of the Indies in 1609.

After being itself asked whether this station were made for him, Pieter Both finally leaves in 1610 with eight ships, to arrive ten months later at Bantam, the December 19th 1610 exactly. It must first of all find a place favourable with the creation of a city like high place of command and important harbor center. It must face a strong corruption and build many forts to protect the economic monopoly from the Netherlands in the area of the Moluques. Both concentrates mainly its marketing activities on the area of Moluques. The area was deserted later by the leading institutions with the profit from the west coast from the island of Java, for reasons of food insufficiency (Moluques which cannot provide for the requirements out of rice for the local population and the members for the V.O.C.); but also for a more important strategic weight.

Both bases on the island of Java, the town of Batavia (today Jakarta). He concludes from the contracts with the inhabitants of Moluques and conquers Timor and Tidore, colonies respectively Portuguese and Spanish. The November 16th 1614, Both bequeaths the capacity to Gerald Reynst then leaves Bantam the January 2nd 1615 on board " Banda" , in company of a fleet of four richly charged ships, bound for Patria. It trespasses the March 6th 1615, in a storm which in addition destroys two ships of the fleet (of which Bandaged it), which had dropped anchor in front of the Mauritius. Since, one of the tops of Mauritius at baptized summer of the name of Pieter Both.