SMS Grade 8 Past Paper 2022 PDF

 SOCIAL MODERN t u d i e s I Professor Vassen Naëck - Head, Curriculum Implementation, Textbook Development and Evaluation SOCIAL AND MODERN STUDIES PANEL Pierre-André Boullé - Panel Coordinator, Senior Lecturer, MIE Chandrashekhar Padaruth - Subject co...

 SOCIAL MODERN t u d i e s I Professor Vassen Naëck - Head, Curriculum Implementation, Textbook Development and Evaluation SOCIAL AND MODERN STUDIES PANEL Pierre-André Boullé - Panel Coordinator, Senior Lecturer, MIE Chandrashekhar Padaruth - Subject coordinator, Senior Lecturer, MIE Jay Ramsaha - Subject coordinator, Senior Lecturer, MIE Seema Goburdhun - Subject coordinator, Associate Professor, MIE Yogesh Juggessur - Deputy Rector Poorooshotum Behary - Educator Teena Gomes - Educator Jeanne Marianette Agathe-Colet - Educator (Rodrigues) Désiré Clarel Lynley Léonce - Educator (Rodrigues) Ihtisham Arjun Teelock Miraj - Resource person Design Julien Quirin & MIE Graphics Section © Mauritius Institute of Education (2021) ISBN : 978-99949-44-59-0 Acknowledgements The Social and Modern Studies textbook panel wishes to thank: Dr Vijayalakshmi Teelock - Associate Professor, University of Mauritius Les Verts Fraternels Majhegy Murden - Lecturer MIE, Proofreading We would like to express our gratitude to all the Social Studies Educators for their invaluable comments and suggestions during the process of conceptualising the themes for this Social and Modern Studies (SMS) textbook. We appreciate the contribution of Mr Nagamootoo Pillay Jagambrum from the Social Studies Department (Lecturer, MIE) for his comments and suggestions and also for providing us with photographs for the textbook. Finally, in the preparation of the materials a wide range of sources have been consulted: books, articles, journals and internet sources. We wish to acknowledge all the writers of the above sources for the information and illustrations used in the book. Consent from copyright owners has been sought. However, we extend our apologies to those we might have overlooked. All materials should be used strictly for educational purposes. II  Foreword As the first cohort to embark on the Nine Year Continuous Basic Education at secondary level, we are pleased to offer you a new series of Grade 8 textbooks. These textbooks have been designed in line with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and syllabi for Grades 7, 8 and 9 − documents that offer a comprehensive notion of learning and teaching with regard to each subject area. These may be consulted on the MIE website, www.mie.ac.mu. This set of textbooks builds upon the competencies acquired at Grade 7 level. As per the philosophy propounded by the NCF, the content and pedagogical approach as well as the activities allow for an incremental and continuous improvement of the learners’ cognitive skills. The content is contextual and based on the needs of our learners which is constructed on a spiral basis. The comments and suggestions of a variety of stakeholders have been kept in mind. We are especially appreciative of those made by educators who have been part of our validation panels, and whose suggestions emanate from long standing experience and practice in the field. The production of this series of textbooks continue to be a challenge for the writers who have ensured that the learners’ experience is further enriched. I would therefore wish to thank all those who have been part of the whole process, for the time they devoted to it and their ability to maintaining the high standard and quality of the textbooks, while ensuring that the objectives of the National Curriculum Framework are skilfully translated in the content. Every endeavour involves a number of dedicated, hardworking and abled staff whose contribution needs to be acknowledged. Professor Vassen Naeck, Head Curriculum Implementation and Textbook Development and Evaluation, who has provided the guidance with respect to the objectives of the NCF, while ascertaining that the instruction designs are appropriate for the age group being targeted. I also acknowledge the efforts of the graphic artists for putting in much hard work to ensure the quality of the MIE’s publications. My thanks go equally to the support staff who ensured that everyone receives the necessary support and work environment which is conducive to a creative endeavour. I am thankful to all those who provided the support and to the Ministry of Education, Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research for giving us the opportunity to be part of the whole reform process. Wishing plenty of joy and success to all students. Dr O Nath Varma Director Mauritius Institute of Education III  Preface The Social and Modern Studies (SMS) textbook for grade 8 has been designed based on the philosophy of the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF, 2016) which aims at promoting the holistic development of children and developing their competencies to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Consequently, the themes presented in the SMS textbook seek to prepare learners with knowledge about themselves, the people and the society around them, the nation and the world, through the lenses and methods of Social Sciences disciplines: History, Geography and Sociology. While keeping in line with the aims and objectives of the NCF and ensuring continuity, the various topics in the textbook reinforce and extend the key historical and geographical concepts and skills introduced in the primary cycle of the curriculum. In addition, issues of Human Rights, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Democracy, Values and Gender are also incorporated in the topics. An essential feature of the NCF is ‘learning through inquiry’. Accordingly, a weaved-in inquiry-based activities are included in the textbook, which not only engage learners in the learning process but also empower them to be responsible for their individual learning. To facilitate educators, a wide range of activities has been provided within the text. These activities can be used to carry out continuous and formative assessment. However, these activities are mere guidelines and educators are advised to adapt them according to the needs of their learners. Besides the written exercises, additional activities involving discussions which are geared towards developing thinking and creative skills of learners have also been included. Educators are, therefore, encouraged to carry out these activities as these would develop their learners’ communication and thinking skills. Finally, profuse illustrations, diagrams, concept maps and pictures have been used to convey information. Educators are therefore encouraged to use these visuals to initiate classroom discussion to enable learners to have a better understanding of the topics. We hope that this new SMS textbook will be enriching for one and all. We will welcome comments and suggestions that can bring improvement to this textbook. Social and Modern Studies Team IV  Content page Unit 1 I The Road to Independence TOPIC 1 Trade and Colonisation 1 - 30 TOPIC 2 Mauritian Population in the Nineteenth Century 31 - 36 TOPIC 3 World Wars and their Impact on Mauritius 37 - 48 TOPIC 4 The Struggle for Independence 49 - 55 Unit 2 I Global warming and climate change TOPIC 1 Global Warming 59 - 64 TOPIC 2 Our Changing Climate 65 - 73 TOPIC 3 Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation 75 - 81 Unit 3 I Mauritius : A democratic country TOPIC 1 The Republic of Mauritius 85 - 113 TOPIC 2 Origin of Democracy 114 - 125 V VI The Road to Independence UNIT 1 In this unit, you will recall that Mauritius was colonised by the Europeans as from the seventeenth century. You will focus on the development of two forms of labour: slavery and indentured labour which evolved as consequences of colonisation in our islands. You will realise the harsh nature of these two forms of labour that existed until the nineteenth century. You will then understand the changes in the composition of the population that took place on the island as a result of the abolition of slavery in 1835. You will further learn about World Wars in the twentieth century and their impacts on the social, economic and political situation in Mauritius. Finally, you will be introduced to a few important events in the island that ultimately led to independence in 1968. Learning Objectives At the end of the unit, you should be able to: recall that Mauritius was colonised by the Europeans as from the seventeenth century; understand the consequences of colonisation; discuss the nature of slavery and indentured labour that existed on the islands; describe the composition of the Mauritian population by the beginning of the twentieth century; identify the empires and the colonies in the twentieth century; explain the factors that led to decolonisation worldwide; understand that decolonisation worldwide had an impact on Mauritius; recognise the rise of political awareness in Mauritius; discuss the contributions of the various movements in achieving independence. 1 Unit 1 | The Road to Independence INDIAN OCEAN AFRICA CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO AGALEGA TROMELIN ST BRANDON RODRIGUES MAURITIUS Map 1 : Islands of the Republic of Mauritius 2  Topic 1 Trade and Colonisation At the end of the topic, you will be able to: explain what is meant by ‘colonisation’; identify the motives for colonisation; discuss the consequences of colonisation; describe the different types of labour that existed on the island in the nineteenth century; describe the measures to ameliorate the conditions of the slaves and the abolition of slavery; explain the arrival of the indentured labourers in Mauritius; discuss the similarities and differences between slavery and indentured labour. Let’s Recall You have learnt in grade 7 that: from the 15th century onwards, Europeans began exploring new sea routes to the East; the Europeans were interested in spices, silk, cotton and other valuable goods; the Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama discovered a new sea route to the East; the Portuguese had monopoly on the spice trade for almost a hundred years; in the 16th century, the Dutch reached the East Indies after crossing the Indian Ocean; other European nations such as the British and the French came to the Indian Ocean for trade; from the 17th century onwards Mauritius and Rodrigues were successively colonised by the Dutch, the French and the British; Mauritius was used as a stop-over by the Europeans on their way to the East Indies. 3  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence ACTIVITY 1.1 Answer the questions given below. 1. Which European country was the first to discover a new sea route from Europe to the East? _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Name the European explorer who discovered the sea route from Europe to the East. _________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Why were the Europeans interested in the spice trade? Give two reasons. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Find out what is meant by the term ‘monopoly’. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Why did the Portuguese want to keep a monopoly on the spice trade? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Recall how our island was important to the Europeans during their voyages to the East for trade. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 4 Observe Map 2 below. It shows the trade routes used by two European countries: Portugal and Spain. These two countries were the first to explore new sea routes and claim new lands, which were later colonised. The New World Map 2 : Portuguese and Spanish trade routes DID YOU KNOW Colonisation is the process of taking control over another country and ruling over it. The Europeans took over land, at times by force from the local populations, and then brought Europeans to settle there. The conquered country became known as a ‘colony’. ACTIVITY 1.2 Study Map 2 and complete the sentences by choosing the correct word given below. Americas Asia Spain Africa Portugal colonised countries in _________________________ and ________________________ in the East, while in the West ___________________________ colonised the New World. The _____________________________ were known as the New World. 5 Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Trade was an important factor that led the Europeans to colonise. Let’s look at a few other reasons for colonisation. Economic Colonies were important sources of raw materials and market for manufactured goods. The exploitation of mineral and other resources provided great wealth to the colonising country. Motives for Colonisation New territories There was great competition between countries to find new lands and territories. Each country wanted to obtain more land than the other so as to have a larger territory and become more powerful. 6  Strategic Certain colonies were acquired for their strategic importance. This means that the geographical location of the colony made it important in times of war and also for trade. Resources Many of the new lands had resources that could be used to make the colonising country richer and more powerful. Missionary Europeans believed that it was their duty to spread Christianity in other countries of the world. They thought that by doing so they were helping to ‘civilise’ the rest of the world. During colonisation, many languages and cultures were destroyed. 7  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence ACTIVITY 1.3 Complete the sentences below. 1. Colonisation is __________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The main motives for colonisation were _____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Enrichment Activity Some of the motives for colonisation are provided on pages 6 and 7. In groups, discuss which of the motives applied to Mauritius. In the space provided below, list the motives in order of priority according to you. Note: You are required to do prior research and discuss before making your choice. Remember, there is no correct priority. However, you have to justify your choice by writing a few sentences. a. _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ b. _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ c. _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ d. _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ e. _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 8 Colonisation of Mauritius Our islands were colonised by the Dutch, the French and the British respectively from 1638 till 1968. Label the years on the timeline below to show the periods of different European colonisation in Mauritius (the Dutch, the French and the British). 1638 1968 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 __________________________ _________________________ ________________________ The French and the British also colonised some other islands and group of islands in the Indian Ocean. These islands were governed by Mauritius and were known as dependencies. ACTIVITY 1.4 The table below shows the dependencies of Mauritius in 1810. On a map of the Indian Ocean locate and label the islands. Name of Islands / Group of Islands Rodrigues St Brandon Albatross Island, Raphael, Avocaré, Cocos Island, Île du Sud Agalega The North Island & The South Island Tromelin Diego Garcia, Salomon group of islands, Peros Banhos, Eagle Chagos Archipelago Island, Trois Freres, Six Islands The Seychelles Table 1 : The dependencies of Mauritius in 1810 DID YOU KNOW The Seychelles ceased to be a dependency of Mauritius in 1903. 9 Unit 1 | The Road to Independence ACTIVITY 1.5 Observe the pictures provided. They show activities on the islands during colonisation. Describe the activities shown below by writing a few sentences in your copybook. 10 Consequences of Colonisation Recall and write any two ways in which colonisation affected our islands. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Do you recall that one of the motives of colonisation was to have economic benefits from the colony? To achieve economic benefits, the colonists introduced different forms of labour. The two major forms of labour introduced in the colonies were slavery and indentured labour. In this section you will learn about slave labour. Slavery is considered to be the most inhuman form of labour that existed at that time (17th -19th century) in Mauritius and other colonies. ‘Chattel slavery’ means that ‘people’ were treated as ‘goods’. They were bought and sold in markets. They were hired out and even insured as goods. These enslaved men, women and children became the ‘property’ of their owner. Enslave means to make a person slave by taking away his or her freedom and forcing him/her to work for no pay under threats and punishment. ‘Chattel slaves’ (also known as ‘bien meuble’) had no rights and their children who were born in Mauritius also became the property of the slave owner. Once brought to Mauritius, slaves had no opportunity of ever returning to their country or seeing their family and friends again. Slavery that developed during the period of colonisation was characterised by severe physical punishment for any slave who displeased his or her owner. Discuss and Share Slavery existed in ancient times. However, the kind of slavery that developed during the period of colonisation is described as a form of ‘exile’ or a ‘prison’. What do you think this means? Discuss and share your views in class. You may write a few sentences below about what you have discussed. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 11 Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Slavery in Ile Slave traders buying slaves AFRICA 1. ship e the sid 2. in A es IC Slav 3. R AF Captured slaves marched to the coast E R N COAST OF 4. 5. T EAS 6. 12 de France Slaves sold in the market Slaves sold in the market Slave being punished Slave being branded ACTIVITY 1.6 Slave being punished 1. UseSlave an atlas to locate and label the places marked 1 – 6 on the map on page 12. being branded (1) ________________________ (2) ________________________ (3) ________________________ (4) ________________________ (5) ________________________ ACTIVITY 1.6 (6) ________________________ Discuss and Share 1. Use an atlas to locate and label the places marked 1 – 6 on the map on page 12. (1) ________________________ (2) ________________________ Life was very hard for the slaves. They were ill-treated and punished harshly. (3) ________________________ (4) ________________________ (5) ________________________ (6) ________________________ Observe the pictures on pages 12 and 13. In groups, discuss each picture and share your views in class about the life of the slaves. Write a few sentences about what you have Discuss and Share discussed. Life was very hard for the slaves. They were ill-treated and punished harshly. Observe the pictures on pages 12 and 13. In groups, discuss each picture and share your 13 views in class about the life of the slaves. Write a few sentences about what you have  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Working with sources You have learnt in grade 7 that historians know about past events from sources. How do we know about the life of the slaves? In Mauritius as in many other countries at that time, slaves were not treated well. But we know little about the life of slaves, especially about how they felt or thought. This is because they did not write down their thoughts. We often have to rely on documents which were written by slave owners or officials. When reading these documents, we have to judge whether these documents tell us the whole truth or only part of the truth. The Sources The laws such as the Code Noir can tell us what laws Pictures can tell a story governed slaves’ and owners’ lives Slave badges Acknowledgement: Deva Ramasawmy Inside a maroon cave Documents can give us many details about Archaeological artefacts and excavations can reveal what was going on in Mauritius at that time information we did not know 14 Historical map An old map showing the plan of Port Louis in 1806 ACTIVITY 1.7 1. Make a list of the different sources from which you can know about the past. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Collect pictures of the different sources that you have listed above. Create a poster and write one sentence to show how the source is important in providing information about the past. 15  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence How did slaves live in Mauritius? Living conditions depended on where the slaves lived and the type of work they did. It also depended on the type of owner they had. In Mauritius, the slaves working in the sugar mills or on sugar plantations worked very hard for long hours in difficult conditions. Some 3,000 slaves also belonged to the Government. They too worked hard in the port and harbour, fought as soldiers, built roads and bridges and most buildings in the 18th century. Many slaves died because there were no proper hospitals for them. Women and children were particularly affected by poor health and diseases. Children also had to work very hard from the age of 12 and were not allowed to go to school. Government slaves Slaves working in the field Source: Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture and in the sugar mill Discuss and Share Observe the pictures above. In groups, discuss the difference between the pictures. Write two sentences about what you have discussed. 16 Slavery in Rodrigues The French occupied Rodrigues since 1725, but there was no permanent settlement on the island. In 1736, there were two colonists and six slaves. By 1761 there were twelve to fifteen slaves in Rodrigues supervised by a French officer to collect turtles at various places in the island. As from 1792, settlers started arriving with their slaves in Rodrigues. Most colonists cultivated vegetable gardens and practised fishing. Some tried growing grape vines and indigo. The most famous and largest slave owner was Philibert Marragon who was the administrator of Rodrigues and the owner of thirty seven slaves. He also had forty two hectares of land under cultivation out of the hundred and sixty-nine hectares given to him at a place in the hills between Baie aux Huîtres and Mont Charlot called L’Orangerie. Observe Table 2 below. It shows the number of settlers and slaves in Rodrigues during the French period. Year Number of settlers Number of slaves 1736 8 6 1745 8 6 1751 18 15 1759 32 20 1763 32 10 1792 104 82 Table 2: Number of settlers and slaves in Rodrigues during the French period ACTIVITY 1.8 Study Table 2 above. Complete the bar graph to show the increase in the number of settlers and slaves in Rodrigues. The first one has been done for you. 120 Number of setlers and slaves 100 80 Settlers 60 Slaves 40 20 0 1736 1745 1751 1759 1792 Years 17 Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Discuss and Share Read the extract provided below. It describes the life of the slaves in Rodrigues. In groups, discuss and compare the life of the slaves in Rodrigues with the slaves in Mauritius. Write a few sentences about what you have discussed. The slaves usually continued their East African tradition of tilling their own kitchen gardens and cultivating provision in grounds as well as labouring on their master’s farm. The whole family was involved in the cultivation of these grounds; thus, an amazing amount of time and energy was spent on this private duty. Allowing the slaves to grow their own food was an easy way out for the planters. The slaves took advantage of their free time to engage in other enterprises such as raising poultry or making traditional handicrafts. This was customary from the earliest days of slavery. Therefore, a positive under-life existed in the midst of hardship and oppression – slaves had some kind of economic independence. Source: Joel Edouard, ‘Slavery in Rodrigues’ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 18 Protest against slavery Now you know that the life of the slaves was very hard. In what ways do you think the slaves protested against the ill-treatment and harsh punishment? Slaves never accepted their enslavement. They fought very hard against slavery in their own way. From the moment they were captured and sold, many revolted and tried to escape from the ships. Very often they ran away and became maroons. Once in Mauritius, they continued to escape even though they faced severe punishment. Women could not run away into the forest as the men because they often had children. So many of them ran away into the town of Port Louis and hid in the huts of other slaves. Even though they were not allowed to practise their original culture and speak their language, they adapted the original culture and created a unique culture of their own which has survived to this day. In this way, they retained their humanity and their identity. Even though they were not provided with proper medical facilities, they made use of existing plants and herbs to cure themselves. Many became skilled and were able to sell their goods they produced at the market and save some money. In Europe, too, there were people fighting against slavery and campaigning for its abolition. The Société des Amis des Noirs and the Anti-Slavery were very active. The Société des Amis des Noirs and the Anti-Slavery Society were organisations that worked towards the abolition of slavery Jacques Pierre Brissot founded the Société des Amis des William Wilberforce became the voice of the abolition of Noirs in France. slave trade & slavery movement in Britain 19  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Slave Amelioration New laws were passed called the ‘amelioration laws’. The purpose was to improve the conditions of the slaves. Some of these laws were: Registration of slaves in the island: names, age,height; Flogging of women became illegal; Slaves could own property; Slaves could give evidence in court; Protector of slaves appointed. ACTIVITY 1.9 The extract below shows complaints made by slaves to the Protector’s Office. Read the information provided in the extract and answer the questions below. Name of Date Name of slave Name of complaint How disposed of proprietor Jean Jacques.. Complaint false;.. General ill treatment, too complainants punished Jean Pierre Mad. Gondreville with ten stripes of a cane 1829 (Flacq) much work, and Sunday each; severely admonished, Prosper labour and then returned to their master... It appears that the punishment inflicted was..Inattention to him when deserved, the slave was Mile Teychyney ill, and being struck with 1829 Jean Louis (Savanne) returned to his master, fist, after punishment who was at the same time with a cane. cautioned against striking a slave with his fist... Complaint frivolous and..Being deprived of her Madme Sturbell unfounded; negress sent 1829 Victorine hours of repose, and over- (Savanne) back to her mistress severely worked reprimanded. Source: Protectors of slaves Copies of Report from No.1- Abstract and Appendix of Complaints preferred between the 25 December 1829 and 24 June 1830 1. To whom did the slaves complain about their masters? _________________________________________________________________________________ 2 (a) Were the judgements in favour of the slaves? _________________________________________________________________________________ (b) Did the appointment of the Protector of slaves improve the conditions of the slaves? Discuss and share your views in class. 20 Abolition of slavery --- Free at last! We are free! Or are we? The slave owners became aware that slavery could not last long. They were most concerned that they receive money as compensation for the loss of their slaves. In 1835, slavery was abolished in Mauritius and its dependencies. There was no celebration on the part of the slaves when slavery was abolished in 1835. Why? To understand what happened, we need to first understand the agreement made between the British government and the slave owners. ACTIVITY 1.10 Read the following documents. Then answer the questions on page 22. Source 1 is the Proclamation and Source 2 is an extract of the Commissioners of Compensation. 17th February 1835 PROCLAMATION TO THE PRESENT SLAVE POPULATION OF MAURITIUS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR ON BEHALF OF HIS MAJESTY On the first of next month you will be called apprentices and not slaves. Source 1: Proclamation Read below the statement of the compensation granted by the British Government for slaves in Mauritius and its dependencies. Category of Slaves Estimated Value of each category Agricultural slaves attached to a plantation Between £ 52 - 142 Agricultural slaves not attached to a plantation Between £ 54 - 144 Skilled slaves Between £ 64 - 142 Total amount paid to Mauritian slave owners for 66,613 slaves £ 2,100,000 Source 2: An extract of the Commissioners of Compensation 21  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence 1. Who are referred to as the ‘apprentices’ in Source 1? _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What do you think the apprentices were required to do after 1835? _________________________________________________________________________________ 3(a) Who obtained ‘compensation’? Give one reason why. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ (b) What was the total amount paid as compensation? _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Why was there no celebration by slaves after the abolition of slavery in 1835 ? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Slave population at the end of apprenticeship period In 1839, most ex-apprentices were forced to leave their homes and land where they had lived for generations on estates. They were not given any houses to live in, land to settle and were left on their own. No schools were provided for them. About 6,000 ex-apprentices, in Mauritius, re-engaged themselves on a one year contract of work with their former masters. Most of the agricultural ex-apprentices preferred to leave the plantations. Some of the domestic workers also left their masters. Those who had nowhere to go went to Port Louis. They worked as manual labourers and artisans. Some of them bought or rented small plots of land on which they practised market gardening. Some ex-apprentices became fishermen. Others became masons and carpenters. Group work Draw a mind map to show the activities of the ex-slaves at the end of the apprenticeship period. Enrichment Activity Find out how the ‘Abolition of Slavery’ is commemorated in our islands. You may work in groups to create a poster to show the different activities organised in our islands to remember this event. Your teacher may also organise a field visit to Pointe Canon. Discuss the significance of the monument and share your views in class. 22 Abolition of slavery in Rodrigues Read the extract provided below. ‘He (Honore Eudes) had been asked by the government to explain to the slaves what abolition implied, and on the same 4th June 1839 he proclaimed that all slaves in Rodrigues were henceforth free. He told them they would be given free transport if they wished to leave for Mauritius. He then offered them a monthly wage of 3 piastres, to the women 2 piastres, free food as much as they could consume according to custom already established, 11/2 lb of salt fish per week, two coujarons of spirits as before, and the liberty of cultivating their small gardens. Unanimously, they accepted these conditions for a trial period of one month, and Eudes was ‘’confident’’ all his slaves would continue to work on his estate as before. Five slaves from L’Orangerie also accepted these conditions. The liberated slaves did not remain long in the employment of their former masters. They soon realised that there was no one to prevent them from going into the interior where they squatted without authority on their garden plots or in the woods on land belonging to the crown’. Source: North-Coombes, A. - The Island of Rodrigues ACTIVITY 1.11 1. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ for the following statements. a. Slaves in Rodrigues were set free on the same date as in Mauritius. _____________ b. Slaves were offered a free passage to Mauritius. _____________ c. In Rodrigues, slaves did not have to go through a period of apprenticeship. _____________ d. Slaves were offered land for cultivation. _____________ e. The ex-slaves preferred to work for their masters. _____________ 2. What did the freed slaves in Rodrigues obtain? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Discuss and Share Do you think that the slaves in Rodrigues behaved differently from those in Mauritius after being freed? Give reasons for your answer. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 23  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Indentured Labour Even before the abolition of slavery, many slave owners had begun preparing for it. In 1826, some persuaded the British Government to allow them to bring in labourers on contract from India. Many labourers were brought after the abolition of slavery. Between 1826 and 1910, nearly half a million people had arrived, mainly from India but also from various African and Asian countries. Map 3: Migration of Indian indentured labourers in the 19th century Map 4: The main regions and districts of recruitment for Indian indentured labourers in the 19th century ACTIVITY 1.12 Study maps 3 & 4. Use your atlas to identify and label on a map: (a) three countries to which indentured labourers migrated in the 19th century. (b) three ports from where the indentured labourers embarked on ships in India. (c) two regions in India from where the indentured labourers migrated. 24 However, it was not the first time, in the 19th century, that the Indians had come to Mauritius. Do you recall that Indian workers and immigrants were present on the island during the French period? 1. Where were they brought from? _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What type of work did they do on the island? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ DID YOU KNOW Discuss and Share An indentured labourer was a person who signed a Why did the Indians want to leave their contract to work away from his/her country for an employer in Mauritius for one, three or five years. country? Think of possible reasons. Was Mauritius what they expected it to be? Why were many disappointed? Although the indentured labour system provided for wages to be paid to the labourers and gave them the right to own land as opposed to the slave system, the living and working conditions of the indentured labourers were very harsh. This led to the system being described as a ‘new system of slavery’. Indentured labourers arriving in Mauritius 25 Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Voyage from India to Mauritius The voyage was painful because of overcrowding and unhygienic conditions on board the ships. The journey took at least three months. Improper and insufficient food together with inadequate sanitation seriously affected their health. The trip was no better than that of slaves. Indian Indentured Labour: Setting up the System Arrival When the indentured labourers landed at the immigration depot, today known as the ‘Aapravasi Ghat’, they were given fresh clothes as the officials were scared they might have brought diseases. Those who had diseases were not allowed to disembark and were sent to Flat Island or Cannoniers Point to be placed in quarantine. Lodging After leaving the immigration depot, the labourers were taken to the sugar estates. They lived in huts or in barracks inside a ‘camp’. What is a camp? What is a barrack? A barrack consisted of a long building, with stone or straw walls and thatched roof. The building was divided into a number of rooms, and each room was assigned to a family. Find out the names of places that have kept the names of camps and barracks. 26  Duties The indentured labourers were required to work for 6 days a week from dawn to dusk on sugar plantations. The harvest season was the busiest. Once cut, the cane had to be transported without delay to the Wages and discipline mill. Can you think why? Their normal earning was Rs 5 per month. They were punished for the slightest offence. On Sundays, they had to perform two hours of corvée before 8 in the morning. This was unpaid labour. The worst of all the punishment was the imposition of ‘double cut’. In what way did this resemble slavery? What is double cut? Workers were required to clear the rocky land by hand as there were no machines or other The worker lost 2 days wages if he was absent for one day. equipment in those days. His wage could also be cut if he was late or sick. What machines and equipment are used today? Many labourers were threatened and beaten. DID YOU KNOW From the 453,000 indentured immigrants/labourers believed to have come to Mauritius, about one-third returned to India. Many did not survive. They died of disease on board ships or on the camps. Enrichment Activity You may visit (i) the Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis and /or (ii) the Folk Museum at MGI, Moka. Find out: (a) the places/ports from where the Indian indentured labourers came to Mauritius. (b) their conditions on ships during their voyage from India to Mauritius. (c) their living and the working conditions on the sugar estates. You may also note any other information which might interest you (for example: the dress, the utensils, religious books ….) Share your findings in class. You may also create a poster showing the different aspects of the indentured labour/immigrants that you have noted. 27  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Women Immigrants In the beginning, few women accompanied their husbands or were recruited as labourers. After 1842, the number of women immigrants increased. Women migration was used to encourage male labourers to settle permanently. The women contributed to the social, religious and cultural life and kept alive the traditions and customs of their respective homeland. Enrichment Activity Paintings 1-5 show the Indian indentured women in traditional attire from their regions. (i) With the help of your teacher, observe the costumes in the paintings 1 - 4. Identify and name from which region of India the women came. (ii) Painting 5 shows costumes worn in Mauritius at the end of the 19th century. Can you name the different items of clothing? (iii) Find out about (i) one food item and (ii) a festival celebrated in each region shown on paintings 1 - 4. Immigrant muslim bride, Bihar 2 Immigrant from Vizagapatam, Andhra Pradesh 3 4 1 Tribal woman, Chotanagpur 5 Late 19th century style blouse Immigrant from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh ‘peignoir’ worn in Mauritius Traditional attire of the Indian indentured women Acknowledgement : Artist Nalini Treebhoobun 28 Some of the laws were harsh against indentured labourers as the plantation owners wanted to keep them on the estate like they had done with slaves. The most severe law was the one which made it compulsory for all immigrants to carry a ‘ticket’. What was the ticket? A ticket was a kind of identity card. It had the employer’s name as well as other details. What details do you see on the ticket shown in picture 1 below. Any immigrant found without the ‘ticket’ was treated as a ‘vagrant’. S/he could be arrested and imprisoned. Picture 2: The Vagrant depot Picture 1: An immigrant ticket Acknowledgement - Source: Vintage Mauritius Indentured labourers too fought against these harsh laws as slaves and coloured people had done. (You will learn about coloured people in Topic 2).They signed petitions and went to complain at the Protectors Office. Some also saved money, grew vegetables, reared cows and sold their produce. In this way slowly over the years, they accumulated savings and were able to leave the plantation and settle in villages. For most people living in Mauritius at that time, life was indeed a struggle. 29  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Enrichment Activity Find out the similarities and differences between slavery and the indentured labour systems. Share your findings in class. Write a few sentences about what you have discussed................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Topic Topic22 Mauritian Population in the Nineteenth Century At the end of the topic, you will be able to: understand the composition of the Mauritian population in the 19th century; discuss about the conditions of health and education of the people; understand the measures taken by the government to improve the health conditions. ACTIVITY 2.1 Table 1 shows the composition of the Mauritian population in the 19th century before the abolition of slavery. Study the table and answer the questions. Year Colonists Slave Free Coloured 1810 6,865 63,281 7,659 1815 7,114 80,046 9,693 1820 7,991 67,699 11,898 1825 8,009 63,432 14,831 1830 8,135 65, 672 18,019 Table 1: The composition of the population 1810-1830 Source : Teelock, Vijayalakshmi: Mauritian History- From its beginning to Modern Times (2009) 1. The three groups of people who comprised the population in Mauritius in the 19th century were: (i)…………………………… (ii)…………………………… (iii)…………………………… 2. Write in the space provided below, the increase in the population of the free coloured between the years 1810 and 1830. ____________________________________________________________________________________ DID YOU KNOW Some slaves had been freed even before the abolition of slavery. They were called manumitted slaves. Manumission could happen if an owner gave his or her slave his/her freedom. An enslaved person could also buy his or her own freedom after having saved some money and given it to the Government. Some women became free after marrying their owner. 3. Give two reasons to explain the increase in population of the free coloured in table 1. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 31  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence The Free Coloured You have learnt in grade 7, in unit 2, about the colonists, the slaves and the immigrants. Now you will learn about a group of people referred to as the ‘Free coloured’ in table 1. ‘Free coloured’ was the name given in the eighteenth century to this new group of people who were born and grew up in Mauritius. The ‘Coloured’ people or ‘Gens de Couleur’ as they were called at the time were of mixed European, African and Indian descent. Some of them had been freed from slavery. Others were born free but were not treated equally with other free people. DID YOU KNOW The free coloured had to face many discriminations. Some examples of discrimination are: Although they were legally free, they were not allowed to bury their dead in cemeteries which were reserved for Europeans or go to schools also reserved for Europeans. They could not even sit together with Europeans when they went to the Port Louis theatre. Reverend Jean Lebrun: Efforts to promote education among the slaves and the coloured population The children of the free coloured became educated due to the effort of a few people like Reverend Jean Lebrun. He was a missionary, who taught these children how to read and write. Their education allowed them to become professionals such as lawyers, doctors and to work in the civil service among others. It is thanks to him that Remy Ollier and many members of the coloured population were able to obtain an education and later take part in politics. Soon they began to demand equal rights with Europeans. MIssionary Jean Lebrun was also responsible for the education of the slaves. He encouraged children of ex-slaves to stand up for their rights. Reverend Jean Lebrun They sent many letters of protest to the British government. Finally, the British government decided to pass a law abolishing discrimination against them. As a result: Coloured boys were admitted to the Royal College for the first time in 1832. They obtained the ‘English scholarships’ for further studies in British universities. This allowed them to become lawyers and doctors. 32 Enrichment Activity The pictures below show some famous personalities of coloured origin. In groups, find out information about the work and achievements of these people. Eliacin Francois Remy Ollier Lislet Geoffroy DID YOU KNOW After 1852, it was difficult to distinguish between Gens de Couleur and ex-slaves as both these groups were merged as one population category in the census. You have learnt so far about the different groups of people in Mauritius. Now let’s find out how was Mauritius by the end of the 19th century. We know that: The majority of the population did not go to school. Most people worked very hard but did not earn enough. There were many diseases and epidemics on the island. There were not enough medical facilities and hospitals. Many people died of malnutrition and of disease. The government at that time did not want to spend money on the population and adopted a laissez faire attitude. 33  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Health In the nineteenth century, Mauritius was affected by many epidemic diseases. The outbreak of the epidemics led to the death of many people. ACTIVITY 2.2 Observe Table 2 below. It shows the number of mortality between the years 1865-1905. Year Population Death 1865 360,337 12,042 1875 345,037 8,584 1885 367,288 12,352 1895 378,041 13,691 1905 386,128 15,379 Table 2: Number of mortality between the years 1865-1905 Source: Ross, R. Report on the prevention of malaria in Mauritius 1. The death figure in the above table refers to which disease? _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Find out what caused the above mentioned disease. _________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Find out which group of people were mostly affected by the above disease in the 19th century. _________________________________________________________________________________ The outbreak of diseases during the mid-nineteenth century, affected the Mauritian people. Malaria was one of the most serious diseases. Cholera and the plague were some of the other diseases that resulted in many deaths. Many people tried to convince the government to change its policies to improve the health conditions of the people. Do you know what is a policy? The British governor brought important sanitary measures in the 1880s, especially: Group work the supply of pipe water to certain residential areas Find out about the health facilities provided by the more hospitals and dispensaries were set up government to the people carry out educational programmes to vaccinate more people today. reforestation 34 Education Changes in education also occurred. Free primary schools were started by Reverend Jean Lebrun. The Government also opened many schools but many children did not attend them. Can you think why? Let’s find out. Everybody could not afford to go to schools and have education. Moreover, the education of girls was not considered important. Sometimes parents did not send their children to school because they wanted them to work at home or help them in the fields. Discuss and Share In groups, discuss the consequences of lack of education in Mauritius at the end of the 19th century. Write a few sentences about what you have discussed. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ One of the consequences of lack of education was that Mauritius had a large uneducated labour force. The majority of the people worked on the sugar estates. Others earned their living by growing and selling vegetables, rearing animals and fishing. Observe the pictures below. Mahatma Gandhi Manilall Doctor 35  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Have you heard the names of Mahatma Gandhi and Manilall Doctor? _________________________________________________________________________________ Which institutions in Mauritius are named after the above two personalities? _________________________________________________________________________________ In the beginning of the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi visited Mauritius. He saw the difficult conditions of the indentured labourers on the island. He also observed that the majority of the Indian population in the island were uneducated. He therefore sent Manilall Doctor from India to emphasise on the importance of education and to work for the betterment of the Indians in Mauritius. DID YOU KNOW Education was very important for the population to lift itself out of poverty. Just like the children of ex-slaves, children of indentured labourers also learnt in both informal schools and in formal schools. What were the informal schools called? A Baithaka Discuss and Share In groups, discuss the following: The contribution of Manilall Doctor in promoting education in the 20th century; Educational facilities provided to people in our islands today. Share and write a few sentences in your copybook about what you have discussed in your groups. At the end of the 19th century, the Mauritian society began to change. In topic 3, you will learn about some events in the world that had an impact on Mauritius. 36  Topic 3 World Wars and their impact on Mauritius At the end of the topic, you will be able to: identify the empires and the colonies in the 20th century; name a few important events in the 20th century; understand how these events affected Mauritius. In the 20th century, some important events occurred that had a great effect on the world. Mauritius also was hugely affected. Some of these events were: World Wars; a drop in sugar prices which caused many Mauritians to suffer. It was not an easy time in Mauritius which was a British colony at that time. Many people started to protest, to form associations and to demand a change in government. They blamed the British government for many of the problems. You will notice that the World Wars affected the world at large in the 20th century. Let’s begin by understanding the consequences of a war. Observe the pictures below and discuss with your friends in class. Cities and towns destroyed by bombing 37 Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Discuss and Share You must have read in the newspaper or heard in the news on television about wars among countries happening now. In groups, discuss about any one such war which you have read or heard. The following questions will guide you in discussion. Which counties are involved in the war? What are the reasons for the war? What kind of weapons are used in the war? How has the war affected the life of the people? How are children affected in the war? Is war the only solution to the problem? In the space provided below, write a few sentences about what you have discussed. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ After you have inquired about the above questions, reflect on the following points: Why is it important to maintain peace in the world? How can we resolve conflicts peacefully? You must have realised by now that war causes damage to life and to property. 38 Let’s Recall In the 19th century, there was a race among the European countries to obtain new colonies. Can you think why? development in science and technology growth of industries rise in population in Europe Colonies became the source of raw materials for the European industries and a market for manufactured goods. Therefore, obtaining more colonies meant more wealth and power for the colonising country. The colonising countries were called the colonial powers. Map 1 below shows a few colonial powers at the beginning of the nineteenth century. 1800 Britain France Russia Turkey Italy Map 1: Colonial powers in 1800 ACTIVITY 3.1 1 Observe Map 1 and name the colonial powers. a. _____________________________________ b. ____________________________________ c. ______________________________________ d. ____________________________________ e ______________________________________ DID YOU KNOW Empire refers to a group of countries, colonies or states ruled by another country. In the 19th century, Britain was a powerful empire. 39  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence ACTIVITY 3.2 Observe Maps 2 and 3. Map 2: The World in 1850 Map 3: The World in 1900 40 Study Maps 2 & 3 and answer the questions. 1. Name any two British colonies that you can observe in map 2. _________________________________ _______________________________________ 2. Identify one British colony which does not appear in map 2 but you can observe in map 3. _______________________________________________________________________________ 3. Name the continent in which, Kenya, a British colony shown in map 3 is found. _______________________________________________________________________________ 4. Find out the name of another colonial power that has colonies in the above continent. _______________________________________________________________________________ 5. Name the colonial power which had more colonies in 1900. _______________________________________________________________________________ 6. Find out why the above colonial power was able to become a powerful empire. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ You have observed from maps 2 & 3 that by the beginning of the 20th century the European colonial powers controlled large areas of the world. A fierce competition for obtaining colonies also developed among these powers. Can you think of the consequence of the competition and rivalry among the colonial powers? Competition and rivalry among the colonial powers often resulted in war, as they tried to take over the colonies of each other. The desire to obtain more colonies was an important factor that led to the outbreak of World War I. DID YOU KNOW A world war is a large-scale war that involves many countries of the world. In the 20th century two great wars were fought. These wars are known as the World Wars. World War I was fought between 1914 and 1918 and World War II between 1939 and 1945. 41  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Enrichment Activity Find out: (i) the countries that were involved in World War I. (ii) some others factors responsible for the outbreak of the World War I. You may work in groups. You are encouraged to look for information from different sources: books, magazines, internet among others. You can present your findings by: (a) Creating a poster or a pamphlet (b) Class discussion NOTE : You may use the pictures provided below as guidelines to find out and discuss about some of the causes for the outbreak of World War I. For example (i) how was the Alliance system responsible for the war? (ii) Why did the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand lead to the outbreak of World War I? System of alliances The Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife just before The Sarajevo incident, June 1914 their assassination The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, being captured by police Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand 42 Mauritius during World War I When World War I began in 1914, Mauritius was a British colony. As Mauritius was a part of the British Empire, it was also involved in the war. Many Mauritians went to fight in Europe as volunteers for England and France. There were about 1700 workmen who went to Mesopotamia to work with the British against the Turks who were allies of the Germans. A monument has been erected in Curepipe, in the memory and honour of the brave Mauritian soldiers who were killed during World War I. This monument is known as the ‘War Memorial’. The names of the Mauritians, who died in the war, is engraved on the monument. During the war period, a few measures were adopted in our island to deal with the difficult situation that arose as a result of the war. These measures included: the non-running of trains on Sundays until 1920. ban on the selling of meat on Mondays and Thursdays. food had to be grown locally as it became more difficult to import rice from India. War memorial monument found in Curepipe ACTIVITY 3.3 Read the information provided above and answer the following questions. 1. Why was Mauritius involved in World War I? ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Name two economic measures taken to deal with the difficult situation during World War I. (i)__________________________________ (ii) __________________________________________ 3. How did the Mauritians contribute in the war? ________________________________________________________________________________ 4(a) Name the monument erected in the honour of the Mauritian soldiers killed in World War I. ________________________________________________________________________________ (b) Where is the monument found? __________________________________________________ 43  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence World War I came to an end in 1918. Find out which European Powers won the war. ________________________________________________________________________________ World War I brought destructions and sufferings in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Some of the effects of World War I were: A huge number of deaths unemployment food shortage breakdown of empires B Unemployed people receiving free food from a Breakdown of empires charitable organisation Enrichment Activity I. ‘Breakdown of Empires’ was one of the effects of World War I. Find out: 1 (a) The Empires that were broken and split into smaller states. (b) Make a list of the new states that were formed as a result of the war. 2. On an outline map of the world mark and label the new states that were formed. II. Shortage of food was another consequence of World War I. In the space provided below, write briefly how the problem of food shortage was dealt with in Mauritius during World War I. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 44 World War II and its Effects At the end of World War I, the European powers signed a treaty to maintain peace in the world and prevent future wars. However, the treaty did not last long. In 1939, Germany under Hitler invaded Poland and war was declared in Europe. Two years later, the Japanese attacked the USA at Pearl Harbour. Adolf Hilter becomes dictator Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour of Germany in 1933 World War II ended in 1945. It caused more destruction than World War I. Read the extract below to understand some of the effects of World War II. ACTIVITY 3.4 Read the extract below. It is an eyewitness account of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima Within a few seconds the thousands of people in the streets and the gardens in the centre of the town were scorched by a wave of searing heat. Many were killed instantly, others lay writhing on the ground screaming in agony from the intolerable pain of their burns……..Horses, dogs and cattle suffered the same fate as human beings…….Even the vegetation did not escape. Trees went up in flames, the rice plant lost their greenness, the gases burned on the ground like dry straw. Source: An account from a Japanese journalist,1945 1. Where was the atomic bomb dropped? _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Write three sentences to describe how the people suffered as a result of the atomic bomb. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Think Why is it important to maintain peace in the world? Share your views in class. 45  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Effects of World War II World War II affected countries in all the continents: Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Millions of people around the world were forced DECOLONISATION to move or found themselves in a new country with the creation of new borders. However, a very important effect of World War II DEATH was the beginning of ‘Decolonisation’. AND DESTRUCTION Do you recall that at the beginning of the 20th BORDER EFFECTS CHANGES century, the European colonial powers such as Britain, France, Germany, Italy and others owned most of the colonies around the world? After World War II, the situation began to change. POLULATION POPULATION TRANSFER TRANSFER Many nations gained their independence in the 20th century. At the end of World War II, many nations in Africa & Asia gained independence from the European colonial powers. The first major colony to gain independence was India in 1947 Date in the year independence was achieved. Shading indicates former ruler. Great Britain Belgium France Portugal Netherlands United States Italy 46  ACTIVITY 3.5 Observe the picture below and answer the questions. Decolonisation refers to the process whereby a country which was previously a colony becomes ‘politically independent’. This process of getting freedom from colonisation mostly happened after the end of World War II. 1. What is the message being sent through the picture? ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Write a few sentences about what is meant by decolonisation. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Find out what is meant by being ‘politically independent’. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 47  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Mauritius during and after World War II World War II resulted in huge loss of life and property around the world. The prices of essential goods became expensive. The scarcity of food, clothing and shelter caused suffering, starvation, diseases and death worldwide. Mauritius also suffered from the consequences of the war. Effects of World War II on Mauritius Shortage of food and essential commodities Rationing introduced Ships that came to Mauritius bringing food and Food items and all essential goods were essential goods declined in number. There was rationed. Even the supply of paper to no rice and very little wheat flour. Meat and newspaper agencies was rationed. sea-food became rare. There was also scarcity of The three main newspapers of the country cooking oil, medicine and charcoal. at that time: ‘Advance’, ‘Le Cernéen’ and People ate manioc, breadfruit, sweet potatoes ‘Le Mauricien’ had to publish a common and boiled bananas. newspaper. ACTIVITY 3.6 Read the information provided above and complete the sentences. 1. World war II resulted in _________________________________________________________ 2. The scarcity of food and _____________________ caused ___________________________ and ________________________________ 3. The three main newspapers of the country were ____________________________________, _________________________________ and _________________________________ 4. During the war period, people mostly ate _____________________ and ___________________. DID YOU KNOW Fishermen in Rodrigues put their boats and nets at the disposal of the allied forces from sunrise to sunset. They collected more than 3000 pounds of fish. Money received from the sales of these fishes was donated for the war. Between 1939 and 1945 more than 30,000 Mauritians joined the war in the service of Britain and France. 280 of them died. 48  Topic 4 The struggle for Independence At the end of the topic, you will be able to: describe the social and economic conditions of the people in the 1940s; identify the factors that affected the lives of the people; describe the living conditions of the people after the war; explain how unemployment affected the life of the people; discuss the contributions of a few personalities in the fight for the rights of workers; explain how Mauritius obtained its independence. World War II ended in 1945. In topic 3, you learnt that one of the consequences of World War II was the beginning of decolonisation around the world. Can you think of why Britain decided to give independence to many of its colonies after World War II? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Mauritius also was affected by the events of World War II. In addition, some local events during this period contributed in bringing changes in the social, economic and political lives of the people. People began to realise the importance of independence. Many reasons were responsible for creating this awareness. Let’s find out about the various reasons that led the people to organise themselves in this struggle. 49  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Social and economic situation in Mauritius during the1940s Housing In the 1940s, the population of Mauritius was about 400,000. People led a simple life. They lived mostly in thatched houses, in houses with roofs of iron sheets or shingles, and in houses made of wood. Thatched house in the1940s A house with shingle roof in the 1940s Unemployment The rate of unemployment was high. Families were large in those days and the income which most people had from the jobs was insufficient to run the house. A large Mauritian family in the 1940s 50 Sugar industry Many Mauritians were employed in the different sectors of the sugar industry. However, jobs in the sugar industry were seasonal. Many worked only during harvest seasons and for the rest of the season they were unemployed. Wages were very low. There were no old age pensions, or any other benefits. Sugar-related activities 51  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Cyclones Cyclones affected the island and caused huge damage and destruction. Damages caused by cyclones ACTIVITY 4.1 Draw a mind map to show the various conditions that affected our islands in the 1940s. The difficult conditions affected the social life of the people. Among the Mauritians who created awareness and demand for better conditions of living were Dr Maurice Curé, Pandit Sahadeo and Emmanuel Anquetil. They organised gatherings, rallies and marches to fight for the rights of workers. 52 Rise of pro-worker leaders The difficult social and economic situations in the 1940s led people to organise themselves into various organisations and associations. Dr. Maurice Curé Pandit Sahadeo Emmanuel Anquetil Dr Maurice Curé founded the Pandit Sahadeo would translate Emmanuel Anquetil, who had Labour Party with the objective the messages of Dr Curé in a good experience in Trade of defending the cause of the Hindi as many people of Indian Unionism also fought for the working classes. origin were not well-versed in rights of the workers. Creole. There were other leaders also who campaigned for the rights of the workers. Guy Rozemont Sookdeo Bissoondoyal Sir Abdool Razack Mohamed Sir Seewoosagur Renganaden Ramgoolam Seeneevassen 53  Unit 1 | The Road to Independence Table 1 below shows some events that took place between the years 1937-1943. PROTESTS DEMANDS Workers protested for their rights for: Labour disturbance - better working conditions 1937 Protests in different sugar estates where workers were shot and there -higher wages were loss of lives as well. Dock strike Workers in the dock were demanding for: 1938 First general strike involved the -better salary and working conditions docks, quays and harbours Workers were demanding for: Labour disturbance -better working conditions 1943 Three people were shot at the ‘Belle -higher wages Vue Harel Estate’. One of them was a pregnant woman, Anjalay Coopen. Table 1: Some events between the years 1937 - 1943 All these labour disturbances, trade union movements and political agitations laid the foundation for a better Mauritius. ACTIVITY 4.2 Answer the following questions. 1. Why were the workers protesting in the sugar estates and the port? ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Find out what are ‘Trade Unions’. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 54 Towards Independence Mauritians faced many difficulties in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. War, cyclones, low wages and unemployment affected people all over the island. Many Mauritians were extremely dissatisfied. They expressed their anger in many ways. Some began organising meetings, writing letters to the British Government and carrying out campaigns in the towns and villages. They toured the island and encouraged people to take part in political meetings. In August 1967, general elections were held. The elections were fought between two parties: One party was led by Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam while the other party was led by Sir Gaëtan Duval. The party led by Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam won the elections. After much political struggle, Mauritius became an independent country on 12th March 1968. Independence ceremony at Champ de Mars, 12th March 1968 55 NOTES.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................