When Britain took control of Mauritius from the French in 1810, it would later introduce what it called the “Great Experiment”—the abolition of slavery in 1835. Framed as a moral move to demonstrate the superiority of free labor over slavery, this policy was, in reality, a calculated economic strategy that replaced one form of oppression with another.

From 1835 to 1914, over 462,000 indentured laborers—primarily from India but also from China, Madagascar, Mozambique, Comoros, and Southeast Asia—were brought to work in the island’s vast sugarcane plantations. These laborers, predominantly Hindu and Muslim, were lured by promises of freedom and opportunity but soon found themselves in brutal working conditions that mirrored the slavery they were meant to replace.

While the British profited immensely from this workforce, the forced migration of such a large population drastically reshaped Mauritius’ demographic and social fabric. Ethnic tensions between the incoming Indian laborers and the island’s existing Franco-Mauritian elite, who retained economic and political dominance, created lasting divisions. By the late 20th century, these tensions had escalated into violent conflicts, culminating in the unrest of 1999.

Despite this painful history, Mauritius today stands as Africa’s most peaceful and prosperous nation, with a majority Hindu population. Yet, the legacy of British colonial policies continues to influence its social and political landscape. The Great Experiment, marketed as a victory for freedom, was in truth a cold-blooded imperial scheme that shaped Mauritius through exploitation, economic control, and ethnic division.

As Pan-Africans push for historical accountability and economic justice, the story of Mauritius serves as a reminder that colonialism’s so-called reforms often came at the cost of untold suffering and long-term instability.