History of Mauritius

The history of Mauritius traces settlement of the island, successive colonial administrations, independence in 1968, and its development as a sovereign state.

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Arab and Malay knowledge of the Mascarene Islands: Historical evidence suggests Arab and Malay sailors knew of the Mascarene Islands before European settlement. Possible early knowledge predates the island’s documented European encounters, though permanent settlement is not established.
French Mauritius: French Mauritius was a colony governed from 1715 until British conquest in 1810. French rule made the island a major plantation and naval base in the southwest Indian Ocean.
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam: Seewoosagur Ramgoolam was a Mauritian physician and politician who led the country to independence and served as its first prime minister. His Labour Party-led government negotiated independence from Britain.
Independence of Mauritius: Mauritius became an independent state on 12 March 1968 after British colonial rule. Independence established the sovereign state whose later development this history follows.
Portuguese exploration of the Indian Ocean: Portugal’s maritime expansion established routes and footholds across the Indian Ocean from the late fifteenth century. Portuguese navigators encountered Mauritius but did not establish a lasting colony there.
Mauritian slavery: Mauritian slavery was the forced labor system imposed on enslaved Africans and Malagasy people under French and British rule. Enslaved labor built plantation wealth and profoundly shaped the island’s population.
Anerood Jugnauth: Anerood Jugnauth was a Mauritian politician who served as prime minister and president across several decades. His long political career shaped post-independence governments and constitutional development.
Mauritian general election, 1967: The 1967 Mauritian general election determined the political coalition that would lead the country to independence. The election made independence the outcome of a constitutional and electoral process.
Dutch Mauritius: The Dutch colonial period on Mauritius lasted intermittently from 1598 to 1710. Dutch settlement began the island’s first sustained European colonial occupation.
Mauritian sugar industry: The Mauritian sugar industry grew around sugarcane cultivation and processing, becoming the island’s principal export sector. Sugar plantations organized landholding, labor, and colonial revenues for generations.