When the British took control of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius soon after the abolition of the slave trade, they were faced with a labour-hungry and potentially hostile Franco-Mauritian plantocracy. This book explores the context in which Indian convicts were transported to the island and put to work building the infrastructure necessary to fuel the expansion of the sugar industry. Drawing on hitherto unexplored archival material, it is shown how convicts experienced transportation and integrated into the Mauritian social and economic fabric.

Clare Anderson is Lecturer in Economic and Social History at the University of Leicester.

Preface List of Abbreviations Glossary Introduction The Origins of Transportation in South Asia Punishment, Labour and Reform Violent and 'Everyday' Forms of Resistance The Socio-Economic Integration of Convicts The End of Transportation Conclusion Index