Boodia-Canoo Nandini. Slavery, Indenture and the Law: Assembling a Nation in Colonial Mauritius. Routledge,2022. — 221 p.. 2022

This book addresses historical issues of colonialism and race, which influenced the formation of multicultural society in Mauritius. During the 19th century, Mauritius was Britain's prime sugar-producing colony, yet, unlike the West Indies, its history has remained significantly under-researched. The modern demographic of multi-ethnic Mauritius is unusual as, in the absence of an indigenous people, descendants of colonists, slaves and indentured labourers constitute the majority of the island's population today. Thus, it may be said that the Mauritian nation was “assembled” during the period in question. This work draws on an in-depth examination of the two labour systems through which the island came to be populated: slavery and indenture. In studying the relevant laws, four legal events of historical importance within the context of these two labour systems are identified: the abolition of the slave trade, the abolition of slavery, private indentured labour migration and state-regulated indenture. This book is notable in that it presents a legal analysis of core historical events, thus straddling the line between two disciplines, and covers both slavery and indentured labour in Mauritian history. Mauritius, as an originally uninhabited island, presents a rare case study for inquiries into colonial legacies, multiculturalism and race consciousness. The book will be a valuable resource to scholars worldwide in the fields of slavery, indenture and the legal apparatus of forced labour.

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Figures and Tables

Preface

Introduction

Overview

Theory and method of colonial research

Particularities of the Mauritian context

Theoretical basis

Issues within existing scholarship

Conceptualizations of law within social contexts

Law: separate from or intertwined with politics?

Theories of labour law

Characterizations of labour

The interplay of disciplines: law and history

Colonial legacies and contemporary concerns

When past and present meet

Challenging paradigms

The Truth and Justice Commission

Chapter summaries

Historical background

Part I Slavery

The abolition of the slave trade

Introduction: slavery and the slave trade

Developments towards abolition

Slavery in Mauritius

Application of the 1807 Act

Enforcement of the ban in practice

Judicial enforcement

Conclusion

The abolition of slavery

Introduction

The notion of slavery

Slavery by the French under British Rule

The prelude to abolition: amelioration

The resident planter

Conclusion

Part II Indentured labour

Informal indenture and apprenticeships

Introduction

Colonial labour migration: the case of the “coolie”

Indian indentured labour in Mauritius

Making the transition from slavery

Emancipated slaves and indentured labourers working together

Realities of early indenture

Conclusion

State-regulated immigration and the emergence of an Indian peasantry

Introduction

The sugar industry: economics and politics

Evolution of the indenture system

The new labour laws

Emergenceof an Indian peasantry

Conclusion

Conclusion

“Such is the picture presented to the eye by the mixed and motley population of Mauritius - a picture unique in itself, such as no other country in the world can supply”

-Reverend Patrick Beaton, 18591

Recapitulation of research

Contemporary relevance of Mauritian colonial research

Bibliography

Index

Books and textbooks on the discipline History of state and law:

- History of state and law - Roman law -

- Advocacy - Agricultural law - History of the state and law - Theory of state and law -