Girmitiyas

Girmitiyas, (Kaithi: 𑂏𑂱𑂩𑂧𑂱𑂗𑂱𑂨𑂰) also known as Jahajis, were indentured labourers from British India transported to work on plantations in Fiji, South Africa, Mauritius, and the Caribbean (namely Trinidad and Tobago, British Guiana, Suriname and Jamaica) as part of the Indian indenture system.

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Etymology

The word girmit represented an Indian pronunciation of the English word "agreement" - from the indenture "agreement" of the British Government with labourers from the Indian subcontinent.^[1] The agreements specified the workers' length of stay in foreign parts and the conditions attached to their return to the British Raj.^[2] The word Jahāj refers to 'ship' in Indic languages (from the Arabic/Persian Jahāz/جهاز), with Jahaji implying 'people of ship' or 'people coming via ship'.^[3]

In Fiji, Governor Arthur Hamilton-Gordon discouraged Melanesian Fijians from working on the plantations in an attempt to preserve their culture.^[1] Activist Shaneel Lal argues that Girmitiya were deceitfully enslaved by the British.^[4]

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Etymology

See also

References

Further reading

External links

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