HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES: LIVING AND WORKING ON MAURITIUS' SUGAR ESTATES

Abstract

Mauritius, an island nestled in the South West Indian Ocean, has a unique historical and demographic landscape. Unlike many other regions, it has never had an indigenous population; instead, its inhabitants are all immigrants. This article explores the history of immigration to Mauritius, which occurred in three distinct waves, comprising the Dutch, the French, and the British. The British period saw a significant influx of Indian immigrants, primarily to meet the labor demands of the booming sugarcane industry. Slavery abolition in 1835 led to the recruitment of cheap labor from India, predominantly from North India. These laborers, known as indentured laborers, arrived in Mauritius as part of the "Great Experiment" initiated by the British Imperial Government. This experiment involved contractual work for a specified period, often five years, during which laborers received essential provisions such as a standard of living, wages, rations, housing, and medical care. The first batch of indentured laborers arrived in Mauritius on 4th November 1834, brought by Hunter-Arbuthnot and Company on the ship Atlas. They were sent to work in the Antoinette Phooliar region, a remote village situated in Belle Alliance, Riviere du Rempart district, where they toiled alongside existing slaves in the sugarcane fields.