The 'Creole Indian' : the emergence of East Indian civil society in Trinidad and Tobago, c.1897-1945
Between 1838 when slavery ended, and 1917, some 143,939 Indians came to Trinidad as indentured labourers. This thesis examines how these migrants pulled from all over the subcontinent, first organised themselves as âEast Indiansâ, and then came to demand civic and political rights as Trinidadians from 1897 to1945. Central to this process was the emergence of the âCreole Indianâ. This group stood distinct both from those who understood themselves as Indian sojourners in the West Indies, and from the African and European elements of the population. This dissertation explores how Indians responded to the plantation experience, the demands and pressures of British planters and colonial administrators, Canadian Presbyterian missionaries and educators, Afro-Trinidadian trade unionism and political nationalism, nationalists in India, and the wider transnational anti-colonial networks which spanned the British Empire. The school, the trade union, temple and mosque were spaces where immigrants and their descendants negotiated new ways of imagining their status as Indians abroad, as subjects of the British Empire, as Indians and West Indians. These negotiations did not move in a homogenous or linear way, but
Kissoon, Feriel Nissa
The 'Creole Indian' : the emergence of East Indian civil society in Trinidad and Tobago, c.1897-1945. Between 1838 when slavery ended, and 1917, some 143,939 Indians came to Trinidad as indentured labourers. This thesis examines how these migrants pulled from all over the subcontinent, first organised themselves as âEast Indiansâ, and then came to demand civic and political rights as Trinidadians from 1897 to1945. Central to this process was the emergence of the âCreole Indianâ. This group stood distinct both from those who understood themselves as Indian sojourners in the West Indies, and from the African and European elements of the population. This dissertation explores how Indians responded to the plantation experience, the demands and pressures of British planters and colonial administrators, Canadian Presbyterian missionaries and educators, Afro-Trinidadian trade unionism and political nationalism, nationalists in India, and the wider transnational anti-colonial networks which spanned the British Empire. The school, the trade union, temple and mosque were spaces where immigrants and their descendants negotiated new ways of imagining their status as Indians abroad, as subjects of the British Empire, as Indians and West Indians. These negotiations did not move in a homogenous or linear way, but
creole indian emergence east indian civil_society slavery end indians come indenture labourer examines migrant pull subcontinent first organised east indians come demand civic political right central process emergence creole indian group stand distinct understood indian sojourner west_indies african european element population explores indians respond plantation experience demand pressure british planter colonial administrator canadian presbyterian missionary educator trade_unionism political nationalism nationalist india wide transnational anti_colonial network span british_empire school trade_union temple mosque space immigrants descendant negotiate new_way imagine status indians abroad subject british_empire indians west indians negotiation move homogenous linear way