“There was only one room in the house: in the centre—the kitchen with, at one end the stores and sleeping quarters of the servants and, at the other, the conjugal bed. This was covered with a bedspread upon which a hen was brooding on her eggs, under the bed, ducks; pigeons under the eves, and three large dogs guarding the door. I was very surprised to find such a beautiful lady in that miserable lodging.”
Marcelle Lagesse—À la découverte de l’Ile Maurice
Marcelle Lagesse—À la découverte de l’Ile Maurice
The island under the rule of “la Compagnie des Indes”
Between 1715 and 1764 the island was under the supervision of the French East India Company which had been created in 1664 by Colbert, principal adviser on commercial matters to Louis XIV. Since the introduction of coffee crops in Bourbon (Reunion), the sister island was considered to be more of a commercial success and, with no-one interested in her fate, Mauritius had to await the arrival of La Bourdonnais, as governor, before any improvement could be made in conditions here. As it was, the Company’s unique objective was the successful establishment of trade with Asia to the advantage of the Crown. Thus important administrative powers were delegated to its representative.
So, what exactly do we mean by a “Compagnie des Indes?” It was a “privileged association” of traders who had been granted the monopoly for trade between a European country and distant lands in America and Asia. From their trading posts (Canton in China, Pondichery in India for the “Compagnie des Indes Orientales”) the merchandise sought after by the Western world was shipped. There were several ports of call along the route—such as the Ile de France—Mauritius.
A typical homestead of the colonists of the time consisted of a small agricultural holding called “habitation”—granted to the white population for exploitation but whose produce went mainly to supply the company’s fleet. If the holding was unproductive it could be given to another person.
Some goods have retained an association with the Compagnie des Indes to this day—one thinks of some cotton prints still called “Indiennes” and of the much prized blue and white Chinese porcelain, and the sculptured furniture.
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The Period under French rule.
The real transformation of the colony dates from the arrival of La Bourdonnais on the 4th June 1735. In his opinion the importance of Bourbon lay in agriculture while the vocation of the Ile de France was maritime. It is to him that we owe the planning and lay out of Port Louis, the development of necessary infrastructures thoughout the island, encouragement of immigration, as well as the importation of more slaves, and, last but not least, the creation of the first sugar estates—as at Villebague.
“When he arrived the two islands (Bourbon and Ile de France) were totally destitute. Though he had been given to understand quite the opposite, he found there were no labourers, no army and no navy. He managed to create them despite the resistance of the ‘habitants’ who had perforce to change their idle ways of living. For five years he would rise at four in the morning, pass his day supervising the constructions, and work throughout the night in his office.”
M. le Baron d’Unienville, archivist 1830
Under King then Emperor—the island prospers
In 1766 when the French king took over direct governance of the island there were 20,098 inhabitants—1998 White and “free men” and 18,100 slaves. Twenty years later there were 42,828 souls
and, at the last census in the 18th century, there were 59,020, of whom 5,237 Whites, 3,703 free men and 49,080 slaves. From the beginning the inhabitants had had to combat the elements, develop the island—and adapt as they thought best the belated instructions which arrived from France by boat.
For some time, it was believed that indigo could become the main crop of the island. However, it never could compete with the better quality produced in Bengal, and soon growers lost interest.
At that time, in Ile de France, there were 60 to 80 sugar mills and that was the start of the sugar industry.
The slave trade—a factor in the economy and the sociology of the island.
Slaves were the product to be bartered between the hunter/merchant and the planter/purchase—mainly in North and South America and in the Indian Ocean. This slave trade lasted throughout four centuries—increasing during the 18th century. Between 12 and 15 million individuals were thus forcibly torn from their country of origin, Africa, and transported to the American continent, the West Indies or the Indian Ocean.
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In December 1723 a trading licence was granted by edict to the Ile de France (Mauritius) and the Ile Bourbon (Reunion) by Louis XIV. The edict is remembered historically, as the “Code Noir” (Black Code) which sets down the rules governing the life of all slaves.
We give, in order of importance, some of these rules:
– All slaves to have Catholic religious instruction, a fine to be paid by the owner who defaults.
– Slaves can only be married with the consent of the owners.
– Children born to slaves belong to the owner of the mother.
– Slaves are considered as “movable property” and are included in any list of possessions to be bequeathed or shared.
– Slaves are forbidden to gather in any numbers—the punishment being either lashes with the whip or branding with the iron (known as the “fleur de lys”).
– The owner must continue to look after his elderly, infirm or sick slaves.
– Corporal punishment or even execution are the penalty for theft.
– No slave shall sell sugar cane, for any reason whatsoever, under penalty of a lashing.
It should not be forgotten that slavery was a worldwide economic system. Unesco has created its educational programme “The slave route” in order to shed light on this tragic phenomenon. The Sugar Adventure was determined to collaborate in this programme in order to bring our contribution of remembrance.
Between 1715 and 1764 the island was under the supervision of the French East India Company which had been created in 1664 by Colbert, principal adviser on commercial matters to Louis XIV. Since the introduction of coffee crops in Bourbon (Reunion), the sister island was considered to be more of a commercial success and, with no-one interested in her fate, Mauritius had to await the arrival of La Bourdonnais, as governor, before any improvement could be made in conditions here. As it was, the Company’s unique objective was the successful establishment of trade with Asia to the advantage of the Crown. Thus important administrative powers were delegated to its representative.
So, what exactly do we mean by a “Compagnie des Indes?” It was a “privileged association” of traders who had been granted the monopoly for trade between a European country and distant lands in America and Asia. From their trading posts (Canton in China, Pondichery in India for the “Compagnie des Indes Orientales”) the merchandise sought after by the Western world was shipped. There were several ports of call along the route—such as the Ile de France—Mauritius.
A typical homestead of the colonists of the time consisted of a small agricultural holding called “habitation”—granted to the white population for exploitation but whose produce went mainly to supply the company’s fleet. If the holding was unproductive it could be given to another person.
Some goods have retained an association with the Compagnie des Indes to this day—one thinks of some cotton prints still called “Indiennes” and of the much prized blue and white Chinese porcelain, and the sculptured furniture.
The Period under French rule.
The real transformation of the colony dates from the arrival of La Bourdonnais on the 4th June 1735. In his opinion the importance of Bourbon lay in agriculture while the vocation of the Ile de France was maritime. It is to him that we owe the planning and lay out of Port Louis, the development of necessary infrastructures thoughout the island, encouragement of immigration, as well as the importation of more slaves, and, last but not least, the creation of the first sugar estates—as at Villebague.
M. le Baron d’Unienville, archivist 1830
Under King then Emperor—the island prospers
In 1766 when the French king took over direct governance of the island there were 20,098 inhabitants—1998 White and “free men” and 18,100 slaves. Twenty years later there were 42,828 souls
and, at the last census in the 18th century, there were 59,020, of whom 5,237 Whites, 3,703 free men and 49,080 slaves. From the beginning the inhabitants had had to combat the elements, develop the island—and adapt as they thought best the belated instructions which arrived from France by boat.
For some time, it was believed that indigo could become the main crop of the island. However, it never could compete with the better quality produced in Bengal, and soon growers lost interest.
At that time, in Ile de France, there were 60 to 80 sugar mills and that was the start of the sugar industry.
The slave trade—a factor in the economy and the sociology of the island.
Slaves were the product to be bartered between the hunter/merchant and the planter/purchase—mainly in North and South America and in the Indian Ocean. This slave trade lasted throughout four centuries—increasing during the 18th century. Between 12 and 15 million individuals were thus forcibly torn from their country of origin, Africa, and transported to the American continent, the West Indies or the Indian Ocean.
We give, in order of importance, some of these rules:
– All slaves to have Catholic religious instruction, a fine to be paid by the owner who defaults.
– Slaves can only be married with the consent of the owners.
– Children born to slaves belong to the owner of the mother.
– Slaves are considered as “movable property” and are included in any list of possessions to be bequeathed or shared.
– Slaves are forbidden to gather in any numbers—the punishment being either lashes with the whip or branding with the iron (known as the “fleur de lys”).
– The owner must continue to look after his elderly, infirm or sick slaves.
– Corporal punishment or even execution are the penalty for theft.
– No slave shall sell sugar cane, for any reason whatsoever, under penalty of a lashing.
It should not be forgotten that slavery was a worldwide economic system. Unesco has created its educational programme “The slave route” in order to shed light on this tragic phenomenon. The Sugar Adventure was determined to collaborate in this programme in order to bring our contribution of remembrance.