Indians in Madagascar

Indians in Madagascar
Total population
25,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
Antananarivo
Languages
Gujarati, French, Malagasy, Hindi
Religion
Hinduism, Islam
Related ethnic groups
Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin

Indians in Madagascar form a community of roughly 25,000 individuals according to the statistics of India's Ministry of External Affairs; other estimates of their population range from 15,000 to 30,000. Among them are 867 non-resident Indians, with the rest being locally born descendants of early immigrants.[1][2] They form a minority ethnic group in Madagascar. Despite making up less than 1% of the population, they control between 50% and 60% of Madagascar's economy.[3]

History

By the 1880s, a community of roughly 200 Indian traders had formed at Mahajanga, a port on the north-west coast of Madagascar, near Bombetoka Bay at the mouth of the Betsiboka River. Confusion arose over their legal status; they often declared themselves to be Malagasy subjects in order to evade the laws against slave-holding or the building of stone houses, both forbidden to British subjects, while their dhows, which they used to transport goods to and from the African mainland, flew French flags.[4] Initial arrivals were mainly Muslim Khojas, Ismailis and Daoudi Bohras, with some Hindus settling later.[5] The 1911 census found 4,480 Indians in the country, making them 21% of the total foreign population and the second-largest foreign population after the French.[6] Following the nationalisation of private businesses in the 1970s, many were compelled to leave; those who remained were largely uneducated, but stayed on and gradually built their businesses. By 2000, they were generally believed to control 50-60% of the country's economy, making them the target of demonstrators during periods of unrest.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Singhvi 2000, p. 94
  2. ↑ A. 2001
  3. ↑ "Gujarati of Madagascar - Pray Africa". Prayafrica.org. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Oliver 1885, pp. 115, 206
  5. ↑ Singhvi 2000, p. 105
  6. ↑ Martin 1916, p. 906
  7. ↑ Singhvi 2000, p. 106

Sources

  • A., Kathirasen (2001-07-31), "A vibrant minority: The Chinese and Indians, who make up a tiny minority in Madagascar, are doing very well for themselves", New Straits Times, Singapore, retrieved 2008-10-28
  • Martin, Frederick (1916), "Madagascar", The Statesman's Year-book: The Statesman's Year-book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1916, St. Martin's Press, pp. 905–908
  • Oliver, Samuel Pasfield (1885), The True Story of the French Dispute in Madagascar, Unwin
  • Singhvi, L. M. (2000), "Other Countries of Africa", Report of the High Level Committee on the Indian Diaspora (PDF), New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs, pp. 89–109, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-06

Further reading

  • Stratton, Arthur (1964), "The Chinese and the Indians", The Great Red Island: A Biography of Madagascar, Scribner, pp. 26–44, OCLC 1670237
  • Blanchy, Sophie (2004-01-22), Karana Et Banians: Les Communautes Commercantes D'Origine Indienne A Madagascar, Harmattan, ISBN 978-2-7384-2656-7
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