The Indians
After
emancipation, many of the island’s planters held the view that there would be
and was a significant shortage of labour that was needed to successfully
continue the plantation system. It was on this basis that they employed the use
of indentured labourers, and Indians more commonly referred to as East Indians,
comprised the greater portion of these labourers. The years 1845 and 1917 mark
the start and end of the period of Indian indentured immigration on the island.
It is estimated that the total number of the first set of Indians who came to Jamaica
was 260; however this figure was short of 10 immigrants who had died on board
the ship Blundell Hunter (Laxmi and Ajai Mansingh, 1). These Indians journeyed
from Calcutta and disembarked at Port Royal, later. Like others who
subsequently arrived, they were brought under contractual arrangements— five
years with the option of returning home after (Shepherd, 22). But there were
also some who came as independent immigrants, commonly known as ‘Bombay
Merchants’ (Senior, 79).
The main source of Indian labour was Northern India, which
explains their Hindu background, and it has been estimated that 36,412 of these
people were brought to the island, between 1845 and 1917. Contrary to
contractual arrangements, a great portion of these workers experienced severe
working and living conditions, which has even been approximated to those of
slavery. Consequently, many of them died and about a third returned to their
native land. Those who remained established dwellings in especially the parishes
of Westmoreland, Clarendon, Kingston, and St. Mary, the main parishes where
Indian labourers had worked (Senior, 79).
With the Indians came the introduction of another culture to the
island. Elements of this culture are noticeable especially in the culinary
aspect of Jamaica’s heritage. Foods such as curried dishes and rice, which is a
popular staple in Jamaican diet, are of Indian origin.
Sources
Mansingh,
Ajai & Laxmi. Home Away
from Home. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers, 1999.
Senior,
Olive. A-Z of Jamaican
Heritage. Kingston: Heinemann Educational Books (Caribbean) Limited and
Gleaner Company Limited, 1983.
Shepherd,
Verene. Transients to Settlers.
Great Britain: Centre for Research in Asian Migration, University of Warwick,
& Peepal Tree Books, 1993.
Sherlock,
Phillip and Hazel Bennett. The
Story of the Jamaican People. Kingston
and Princeton: Ian Randle Publishers and Markus Wiener Publishers, 1998
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