Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa

Common card · No. 245397

The Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa comprises an estimated three million or more people of Indian descent. Indian migration to the region dates back centuries, with early migrants arriving by sea as merchants and traders. The Swahili coast served as a major center of early commercial and cultural interactions between the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. Indian migration to Africa increased substantially during the period of European colonial rule in the 19th and 20th centuries. Following the formal abolition of slavery, European colonial authorities transported Indian indentured labourers to colonies in Africa and other parts of the world. Under British colonial rule, large numbers of Indians were brought to work in South Africa, while others were brought to Kenya and Uganda, many to construct the Kenya–Uganda Railway. Both British and French colonial authorities also brought Indians to work in the islands of Mauritius, Seychelles, and Réunion. Labourers endured harsh and often...

Read on Wikipedia