Indian Immigration to the British West Indies: 1938-1845 MONDAY 25TH JANUARY, 2016 VISHNU BOYS’ HINDU COLLEGE FROM 4:V HISTORY

Activity: Identify the following Individuals:

What do they all have in common?

Indian Immigration: An Introduction: In 1837, John Gladstone a plantation owner in British Guiana applied to the Secretary of State of the Colonies for permission to import indentured immigrants from India. In 1838, Indian Immigration officially started in the British West Indies with the arrival of 396 Indian Indentured Immigrants in British Guiana. In July 1838, Indian Immigration to British Guiana was officially suspended by the Indian Government.

Why do you think it was suspended? It was resumed in 1844. Indian Immigration started in Trinidad in 1845.

Where did the Indian Immigrants come from in India?

They came from: Bombay. Calcutta. Madras. Bihar. Agra- Oudh. Uttar Pradesh.

Group activity: In three groups of four students each, identify three reasons why you think the Indians came to the British West Indies. Reasons why the Indians came: Low wages. A low standard of living in India. A shortage of food due to famine. Unemployment. Higher taxation on land by British authorities.

How were the Indian Immigrants Recruited? There were recruiting agents who were responsible for the Indian Indentured contracts who were appointed by colonial governments in the ports of embarkation. There were also sub-agents who were paid by the West Indian governments. They were the ones who recruited the Indians and they worked in districts and villages. They made false promises of a better life and high wages in order to get the Inidans to come to the West Indies.

Recruitment continued: The Indians were transported to ports where they were medically examined before embarking on the ships. Ships usually left India between October and February. The voyage to the West Indies lasted between eleven to eighteen weeks. Two thirds of the costs of the scheme were paid for by the planters while the island governments paid the remaining one third.

Indian Indentured Contracts: Indian immigrants originally signed their contracts on the point of arrival. However, some refused to sign when they saw the conditions under which they had to work. Contracts were later signed in India. In the beginning, the contracts were for one year. From 1848, it was extended to three years and in 1850, five years.

Contracts continued: The Indians were required to work everyday except on Sundays and public holidays. A field labourer had to work seven hours a day while a factory worker had to work ten hours daily. They were paid a daily wage. Men were paid one shilling per day and women, 8 pennies. Indian immigrants were promised a free return passage to India at the end of their period of indenture. Later, they had to pay a part of the cost to return home. The government also offered land as an alternative to returning home which many accepted.