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The Religion and Culture of Indian Immigrants in Mauritius and the Effect of Social Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2009

K. Hazareesingh
K. Hazareesingh
Affiliation:
Docteur Es Lettres (Paris), Phoenix, Mauritius, 1965 Whitney Fulbright, Visiting Professor of Sociology, Western Maryland College
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Extract

Mauritius is a British territory in the Indian Ocean 500 miles to the east of Madagascar. It measures 720 square miles and has a population of 700,000 people whose ancestors came from France (the original settlers), Africa (slaves), India (indentured immigrants), and China (shopkeepers). Mauritius was discovered by the Portuguese in the early years of the sixteenth century, and was subsequently occupied and finally abandoned by the Dutch, who exterminated the famous bird the Dodo. It was held by the French from 1715 until 1810 when it was conquered by the British at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Type
Cultural Change among Indian Migrants
Information
Comparative Studies in Society and History , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , January 1966 , pp. 241 - 257
Copyright
Copyright © Society for the Comparative Study of Society and History 1966

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References

1 Baron Grant, Letters from Mauritius in the eighteenth century (published 1886), p. 20.

2 Ibid., p. 7.

3 Pannikar, K. M., India and the Indian Ocean, 3rd ed. (London, G. Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1962), p. 30Google Scholar.

4 Pike, Nicolas, Sub Tropical Rambles (New York, Harper & Brothers, 1873), p. 371Google Scholar.

5 Frere, W. E. and Williamson, V. A., Report of the Royal Commissioners appointed to enquire into the treatment of immigrants in Mauritius (London, William Clorves & Sons, 1875), pp. 15–16Google Scholar.

6 H. G. Wilson, History of the Madras Army.

7 Smith, Vincent A., The Oxford History of India from the Earliest Times to the end of 1911 (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1920), p. 702Google Scholar.

8 Mouat, Frederic John, Rough notes of a trip to Reunion, the Mauritius & Ceylon (London, W. Thacker & Co., 1852), p. 96Google Scholar.

9 Raghavaiengar, S. S., Memorandum on the Progress of the Madras Presidency during the last forty years of British Administration (1853 to 1892) (Madras, Government Press, 1898Google Scholar).

10 Majumdar, R. C., Raychandhur, H. C. and Datta, K., An Advanced History of India (London, MacMillan & Co., Ltd., 2nd ed., 1950), p. 210Google Scholar.

11 Mouat, op. cit., p. 95.

12 Majumdar, Raychandhur and Datta, op. cit., p. 820.

13 Ibid., p. 821.

14 Hazareesingh, K., A History of Indians in Mauritius (Port-Louis, The General Printing & Stationery Cy. Ltd., 1950), p. 74Google Scholar.

15 Double cut means that for one day's absence two days’ wages were deducted by the employer. The pass system refers to the practice of requiring an immigrant to carry an identification card on his person at all times. Failure to produce the card would result in summary arrest by the police.

16 Hazareesingh, op. cit., p. 201.

17 Beejadhur, A., Les lndiens à L'lle Maurice (Port-Louis, La Typographic Moderne, 1935), p. 25Google Scholar.

18 Pike, op. cit.

19 Basham, A. L., The Wonder that was India (London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1954Google Scholar).

20 The Hindi Pracharini Sabha founded in 1935 has done much to promote the study and teachings of Hindi in Mauritius.

21 Hazareesingh, op. cit., p. 190.

22 Boodhun, K., ed., Indian Centenary Book (Port-Louis, La Typographic Moderne, 1936), p. 16Google Scholar.

23 Mr. Boodhun was the first Indian to be a Barrister-at-law of the Middle Temple. He was for some time a nominated member of the Legislative Council.

24 Radhakrishnan, S., “Hinduism”, in Legacy of India, ed., Garratt, G. T. (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1937Google Scholar).

25 Boodhun, op. cit., p. 5.

26 Ibid., p. 32.

27 The Indian Cultural Review, published by the Indian Cultural Association, July, 1936.

28 Ibid.

29 Ibid.

30 Dr. Ramgoolam is now the Premier of Mauritius. Every year he takes part in the Shivaratri Festival and marches at the head of the procession of Shiva pilgrims on their return from the holy lake Paritalau.

31 The Indian Cultural Review, July, 1961.