Mauritians of Indian origin
people of Indian descent living on the island of Mauritius
Indo-Mauritians are Mauritians who trace their ethnic ancestry to the Republic of India or other parts of the Indian subcontinent in South Asia.
History
During the administration of the French East India Company until 1767 and subsequent French rule at least 12,000 workers arrived from India between 1721 and 1810 before the abolition of slavery. These first Indian immigrants came from various parts of India such as Pondicherry, Karikal, Yanaon, Chandernagor and others. They worked under contract as skilled stonemasons, blacksmiths, and carpenters although hundreds of them were slaves. Some Malbars from Reunion (Bourbon) Island were also brought to work with them. After the legislative changes of 1767, these Indian immigrants were allowed to start their own businesses, buy land and own slaves.
Following the November 1810 British Invasion from the northern coast, the island came under British rule. With the liberation of about 65,000 African and Malagasy slaves after the 1833 abolition of slavery the Franco-Mauritian plantation owners and sugar oligarchs resorted to indentured labourers, or Coolies, from various parts of India to work in their fields. Between 1834 and 1920, nearly 700,000 Indian indentured labourers arrived at Aapravasi Ghat, an embankment located in the harbour of Port-Louis. Mauritius thus became the British colony's largest recipient of Indian indentured migrants.
The public source identifies “Mauritians of Indian origin” as people of Indian descent living on the island of Mauritius. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mauritians, Indian and origin.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Mauritians of Indian origin”, the useful work is to connect “people of Indian descent living on the island of Mauritius” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3459762. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1767, 1721, 1810 and 1833.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Mauritians of Indian origin”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Mauritians of Indian origin primary sources, Mauritians of Indian origin archive and Mauritians research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mauritians of Indian origin”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mauritians of Indian origin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.