Persia / Netherlands: 'The Dutch Ambassador (Joan Cunaeus) on his Way to Isfahan'. Oil on canvas painting by Jan Baptist Weenix (1621-1660), c. 1653-1659. The Dutch East India Company, or VOC, set up in 1602, was a chartered company granted a monopoly by the Dutch government to carry out colonial activities in Asia. It was the first multinational corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock. It was also arguably the world's first megacorporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, coin money and establish colonies.