Indian Indentured Servant Ship Records
This post is about Indian Indentured Servant Ship Records in Guyana and Trinidad.
Brief Overview of Indian Indentured Servitude
The history of Indian indentured laborers in Trinidad, Guyana, and the Caribbean is a tale of resilience, struggle, and cultural preservation. I've been researching my family history over the last 7 years and learned so much about Indian indentureship, and the harsh reality of colonial rule by the British government.
Following abolition, the British Empire sought to address labor shortages in its colonies and turned to countries like India as a source of cheap labor. Through the indenture system, thousands of East Indian immigrants were "recruited" and transported to various British colonies in South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, and the West Indies (including British Guiana, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and French Guiana). A smaller population of Indians were also indentured in French colonies.
Between 1834 and the end of the system in 1920, it's estimated that over one million Indians were transported across the oceans under the indenture system to toil on sugar, cotton, and rubber plantations. The system, while touted as an ‘opportunity’ for the impoverished from the Indian subcontinent, often involved kidnapping, exploitative contracts, and harsh living conditions that were akin to a new form of slavery.
You can read more about Indian Indentured Servitude in the Caribbean by clicking here.
Caribbean Ship Records (Downloadable)
Titled by Country, Ship Name, Reg. Number
This post will be updated as new information is obtained.
Trinidad Sheila 66201
Guyana Sutlej 111621
Further Information
- List of ships that went to Trinidad https://www.natt.gov.tt/node/274
- UK National Archives https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/indian-indentured-labourers/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3VpPsZVdIVjE0rvBPSGVV2g07RcEvzSuf8LgsFP_H8ika2lQJ8joDj_H4_aem_ASXYu38Xzn6wE6AMP4EW3t1yxveWDGqSPfA6t106vq7UMBYLd1RCjAsNdRFMGeWQkmPaA6kc76pSrpPt7OQ8OcFo
- Suriname’s Digitized Records https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/press/press-releases/rijksmuseum-display-marks-150-years-since-indian-indentured-labourers-first-arrived-in-suriname
- Mauritius https://www.mgirti.ac.mu/index.php/indian-immigration-archives
- Trinidad and Tobago Genealogy https://www.facebook.com/groups/1400414593557228/
- Indian Jamaica Genealogy https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndianJamaicans/
- Guyana - A Story of Pictures, Old and New https://www.facebook.com/groups/Guyana.Pictures.Group/
Related Article
This post was about Indian Indentured Servant Ship Records in Guyana and Trinidad.
By Melissa Ramnauth, Esq. | This content is copyright of West Indian Diplomacy, LLC and may not be reproduced without permission.
She runs West Indian Diplomacy, a Caribbean blog aimed at promoting West Indian history and business in the global marketplace. Melissa has been an attorney for over 10 years. She currently focuses on trademark registration, trademark searches, and office actions. She also has extensive legal experience in the areas of trademarks, copyrights, contracts, and business formations. She owns her own Trademark Law Firm that is virtually based out of Fort Lauderdale.
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Book Recommendations
The First East Indians to Trinidad: Captain Cubitt Sparkhall Rundle and the Fatel Rozack
History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago
An Introduction to the History of Trinidad and Tobago
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