Briefly discuss how "East Indian migrant labour was the salvation of the sugar industry in Trinidad and British Guiana between 1838 and 1862.
Briefly discuss how "East Indian migrant labour was the salvation of the sugar industry in Trinidad and British Guiana between 1838 and 1862.
Trinidad and Guiana were part of British colonies. Trinidad gained independence in 1962 while Guiana gained independence in 1966. Before 1833 some African Slaves used to work on the sugar plantation. However, after the abolition of slavery by the British Empire, Africans refused to work on the plantation. The sugar plantation was on the verge of collapsing. So to rescue its fall British Empire shipped thousands of East Indian migrant labourers disguised as Indentured Labourers to Trinidad and Guiana.
The sugar plantation for the first time was introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century. By the 19th century, the significance of sugar had increased created a market of its own. British knew the significance of Sugar economy. By 18th century t became a major source of revenue for the British Empire. They needed labourers to work on the plantation for free which was provided by the slaves from Africa. Also, the terrain and soil in Trinidad and Guiana were best suitable for a sugar plantation. The African slaves provided the free labour to work on the plantation however, the situation changed after the abolition of slavery in 1833.
The newly-freed Africans refused to work on the sugar plantation. So there was an urgent need for cheap labourers in these colonies to sustain the sugar plantation. This free labour was ensured by indentured labourers from East Asia mainly from India, SriLanka and China. They were taken to these Trinidad and Guiana to work on the sugar plantation. Their condition was no different from Slaves.
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