Joan Paul Schaghen (variable spellings include Jan/Johan(nes), Paulus, and Schagen) (2 November 1689 in Malacca – c. 10 December 1746 in Amsterdam) was an acting Governor of Ceylon in 1725 and 1726 and director-general of the council of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia from 1737 to 1741.
Joan Paul went to study in the Netherlands, where, in 1716 in Velp, he married Cornelia Theodora van Eck.
The VOC appointed him interim governor of Ceylon on 19 October 1725 which position he held until the arrival of Petrus Vuyst on 16 September 1726.
In November 1737 he was unanimously voted to become Director General, after the death of the previous office holder, Wijbrant Blom.
[4] At his retirement on the last day of 1641 he received the title of Vice-Admiral and was saluted with 9 canon shots on his departure from the Batavia castle[5] He was succeeded as director-general by Herman van Suchtelen.