History of Mauritius
While Arab and Malay sailors knew of Mauritius as early as the 10th century AD and
Portuguese sailors first visited in the 16th century, the island was first colonized
in 1638 by the Dutch. Mauritius was populated over the next few centuries by waves
of traders, planters and their slaves, indentured laborers, merchants, and artisans.
The island was named in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau by the Dutch, who abandoned
the colony in 1710.
The French claimed Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it Ile de France. It became a prosperous
colony under the French East India Company. The French Government took control in
1767, and the island served as a naval and privateer base during the Napoleonic
wars. In 1810, Mauritius was captured by the British, whose possession of the island
was confirmed 4 years later by the Treaty of Paris. French institutions, including
the Napoleonic code of law, were maintained. The French language is still used more
widely than English.
Mauritian Creoles trace their origins to the plantation owners and slaves who were
brought to work the sugar fields. Indo-Mauritians are descended from Indian immigrants
who arrived in the 19th century to work as indentured laborers after slavery was
abolished in 1835. Included in the Indo-Mauritian community are Muslims (about 17%
of the population) from the Indian subcontinent.
Franco-Mauritians control nearly all of the large sugar estates and is active in
business and banking. As the Indian population became numerically dominant and the
voting franchise was extended, political power shifted from the Franco-Mauritians
and their Creole allies to the Hindus.
Elections in 1947 for the newly created Legislative Assembly marked Mauritius' first
steps toward self-rule. An independence campaign gained momentum after 1961, when
the British agreed to permit additional self-government and eventual independence.
The Legislative Assembly election of 1967 was interpreted locally as a referendum
on independence. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, MLP leader and chief minister in the
colonial government, became the first prime minister at independence, on March 12,
1968. This event was preceded by a period of communal strife, brought under control
with assistance from British troops.
Mauritius became a republic on March 12, 1992. The most immediate result was that
a Mauritian-born president became head of state, replacing Queen Elizabeth II.
