In the wake of Britain’s ban of slavery, a manpower shortage emerged in the Caribbean. Ex-slaves refuses to continue to work on their former masters’ fields. The result was a labour crisis. To solve this, indentured Indian labourers were transported across the British Empire, and later other empires imported Indian labourers from Britain to their own colonies. From 1833 until the 1910s, Indians were transported, with this movement of people only ending with Indian nationalists’ pressure. By this point, millions of Indians had been transported across the British Empire, especially in Fiji, Mauritius, and the Caribbean, as well as in French and Dutch parts of the Caribbean, substantially influencing demography in all of those regions.
However, even at the time, there was much criticism of the indentured system, especially so soon after the ban of slavery. An anti-indenture movement emerged, employing many of the same people as the anti-slavery movement. This movement achieved success in 1839, when the East India Company banned indentured labour. Unfortunately, the planters in turn influenced the East India Company, and in 1842, the ban was overturned. Indentured labour became a mainstay of the British Empire until the 1910s. In 1920, finally, the system was banned for good.
What if this ban hadn’t been overturned, and what would have been the effects on Fiji, Mauritius, the Caribbean, and the wider British Empire in its absence?
However, even at the time, there was much criticism of the indentured system, especially so soon after the ban of slavery. An anti-indenture movement emerged, employing many of the same people as the anti-slavery movement. This movement achieved success in 1839, when the East India Company banned indentured labour. Unfortunately, the planters in turn influenced the East India Company, and in 1842, the ban was overturned. Indentured labour became a mainstay of the British Empire until the 1910s. In 1920, finally, the system was banned for good.
What if this ban hadn’t been overturned, and what would have been the effects on Fiji, Mauritius, the Caribbean, and the wider British Empire in its absence?