Editing Mauritius (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of Mauritius}}

=== Early history of Mauritius ===
{{Main|Dutch Mauritius}}
The island of Mauritius was uninhabited before its first recorded visit by Arab sailors in the end of the 10th century. Its name Dina Arobi has been associated with Arab sailors who first discovered the island.

[[File:D._Pedro_Mascarenhas.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Pedro Mascarenhas]], [[List of governors of Portuguese India|Viceroy of Portuguese India]] and namesake of the [[Mascarene Islands]].]]

The [[Treaty of Tordesillas]], designed to prevent conflict between Portugal and Spain, gave the [[Kingdom of Portugal]] the right to colonise this part of the world. In 1507, Portuguese sailors came to the uninhabited island and established a visiting base. [[Diogo Fernandes Pereira]], a Portuguese navigator, was the first European known to land in Mauritius. He named the island "Ilha do Cisne" ("Island of the Swan"). The Portuguese did not stay long as they were not interested in these islands.<ref name="govt">{{Cite web|title=History|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx#dutch|access-date=22 January 2015|website=Government of Mauritius|archive-date=16 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016015207/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx#dutch}}</ref> The [[Mascarene Islands]] were named after [[Pedro Mascarenhas]], [[Viceroy of Portuguese India]], after his visit to the islands in 1512. [[Rodrigues (island)|Rodrigues Island]] was named after [[Portuguese discoveries|Portuguese explorer]] [[Diogo Rodrigues]], who first came upon the island in 1528.

[[File:Het Tweede Boeck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|left|Dutch activities on Mauritius, as well as the first published depiction of a [[dodo]] bird (2), 1601]]

In 1598, a Dutch squadron under Admiral Wybrand Van Warwyck landed at [[Grand Port]] and named the island "Mauritius" after [[Maurice, Prince of Orange|Prince Maurice of Nassau]] ([[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''Maurits van Nassau'') of the [[Dutch Republic]]. The Dutch inhabited the island in 1638, from which they exploited [[ebony]] trees and introduced [[sugar cane]], domestic animals and deer. It was from here that Dutch navigator [[Abel Tasman]] set out to seek the Great Southern Land, mapping parts of [[Tasmania]], New Zealand and [[New Guinea]]. The first Dutch settlement lasted 20 years. In 1639, the Dutch East India Company brought enslaved Malagasy to cut down ebony trees and to work in the new tobacco and sugar cane plantations.<ref name="The slave trade on Mauritius">{{Cite web|title=The slave trade on Mauritius|url=https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/mauritius/west-coast/le-morne-peninsula/slave-trade-mauritius|access-date=13 September 2020|website=Rough Guides|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001233138/https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/mauritius/west-coast/le-morne-peninsula/slave-trade-mauritius/}}</ref> Several attempts to establish a colony permanently were subsequently made, but the settlements never developed enough to produce dividends, causing the Dutch to abandon Mauritius in 1710.<ref name="govt" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Mauritius|url=http://culture.govmu.org/English//DOCUMENTS/PAMPHLET%20STRIPPED.PDF|access-date=22 January 2015|website=Government of Mauritius}}</ref> A 
1755 article in the English ''[[Leeds Intelligencer]]'' claims that the island was abandoned due to the large number of [[long tailed macaque]] monkeys "which destroyed everything in it," and that it was also known at the time as the '''Island of Monkeys'''.<ref>{{Cite news|date=22 July 1755|title=Sunday's Post|work=[[Leeds Intelligencer]]|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000236/17550722/006/0002|access-date=4 July 2021|quote=The Island of Mauritius, which is also named the Island of Monkeys, on account of the Multitude of those Animals which destroyed everything in it, was discovered in 1698 by the Dutch, who named it Mauritius, of Maurice, of Orange, and quitted it by reason of the great Number of Monkeys on it.}}</ref> Portuguese sailors had brought these monkeys to the island from their native habitat in Southeast Asia, prior to Dutch rule.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Macaque monkeys on Mauritius, a sad monkey's tale|url=https://earthtimes.org/conservation/macaque-monkeys-mauritius-sad-monkey-tale/1501/|access-date=12 March 2023|website=earthtimes.org|date=11 October 2011}}</ref>

===French Mauritius (1715–1810)===
{{Main|Isle de France (Mauritius)}}

France, which already controlled neighbouring Île Bourbon (now [[Réunion]]), took control of Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it [[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Isle de France]]. In 1723, the ''[[Code Noir]]'' was established to regulate slavery; it categorised one group of human beings as "goods", allowing the owner of these "goods" to be able to obtain insurance money and compensation in case of loss of his "goods".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615081832/http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 June 2016|title=USIP}}</ref> The 1735 arrival of French governor [[Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais]] coincided with the development of a prosperous economy based on sugar production. Mahé de La Bourdonnais established [[Port Louis]] as a naval base and a shipbuilding centre.<ref name="govt" /> Under his governorship, numerous buildings were erected, a number of which are still standing. These include part of Government House, the Château de Mon Plaisir, and the Line Barracks, the headquarters of the [[Mauritius Police Force|police force]]. The island was under the administration of the [[French Indies Company|French East India Company]], which maintained its presence until 1767.<ref name="govt" /> 
During the French rule, slaves were brought from parts of Africa such as Mozambique [[Zanzibar slave trade|and Zanzibar]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Creating the Creole Island: Slavery in Eighteenth-Century Mauritius|date=2005|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-3402-6|pages=277–304|chapter=Notes|doi=10.1215/9780822386919-011 }}</ref> As a result, the island's population rose dramatically from 15,000 to 49,000 within thirty years. 
Slave traders from [[Madagascar]] - [[Sakalava people|Sakalava]] or Arabs - bought slaves from slavers in the Arab [[Swahili coast]] or [[Portuguese Mozambique]] and stopped at [[Seychelles]] for supplies before shipping the slaves to the slave markets of Mauritius, Réunion and India.<ref>The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean. (2003). Storbritannien: Africa World Press. p. 65-68</ref> 
Of the 80,000 slaves imported to Réunion and Mauritius between 1769 and 1793, 45% was provided by slave traders of the [[Sakalava people]] in North West Madagascar, who raided East Africa and [[the Comoros]] for slaves, and the rest was provided by Arab slave traders who bought slaves from [[Portuguese Mozambique]] and transported them to Réunion via Madagascar.<ref>Asian and African Systems of Slavery. (1980). Storbritannien: University of California Press. p. 75-76</ref>
During the late eighteenth century, African slaves accounted for around 80 percent of the island's population, and by the early nineteenth century there were 60,000 slaves on the island.<ref name="The slave trade on Mauritius" /> In early 1729, Indians from [[Puducherry (city)|Pondicherry, India]], arrived in Mauritius aboard the vessel ''La Sirène''. Work contracts for these craftsmen were signed in 1734 at the time when they acquired their freedom.<ref>{{Cite web|date=5 February 2004|title=Tamouls, les racines de l'histoire|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/tamouls-les-racines-de-lhistoire|access-date=5 February 2004|website=L'Express}}</ref>

[[File:Combat de Grand Port mg 9425.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Grand Port]] between French and British naval forces, 20–27 August 1810]]

From 1767 to 1810, except for a brief period during the [[French Revolution]] when the inhabitants set up a government virtually independent of France, the island was controlled by officials appointed by the French government. [[Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre]] lived on the island from 1768 to 1771, then went back to France, where he wrote ''[[Paul et Virginie]]'', a love story that made the [[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Isle de France]] famous wherever the French language was spoken. In 1796 the settlers broke away from French control when the government in Paris attempted to abolish slavery.<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 February 2019|title=Mauritius profile – Timeline|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13882731|access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref> Two famous French governors were the Vicomte de Souillac (who constructed the Chaussée in Port Louis<ref name="Toussaint2">Port Louis, A tropical City, Auguste Toussaint. {{ISBN|0 04 969001 9}}</ref> and encouraged farmers to settle in the district of Savanne) and [[Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux]] (who saw to it that the French in the Indian Ocean should have their headquarters in Mauritius instead of [[Puducherry (city)|Pondicherry]] in India).<ref name="Toussaint">''A short History of Mauritius'', P.J. Barnwell & A. Toussaint</ref> [[Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen]] was a successful general in the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] and, in some ways, a rival of [[Napoléon I]]. He ruled as [[Governor of Isle de France (Mauritius)|Governor of Isle de France]] and Réunion from 1803 to 1810. British naval [[cartographer]] and explorer [[Matthew Flinders]] was arrested and detained by General Decaen on the island from 1803 to 1810,<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 December 2015|title=From Terra Australis to Australia Matthew Flinders' journeys|url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/terra-australis-australia/matthew-flinders-journeys|access-date=14 September 2020|publisher=State Library of NSW}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Moheeputh|first=Anand|date=24 October 2003|title=Matthew Flinders, an illustrious prisoner|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/matthew-flinders-illustrious-prisoner|access-date=24 October 2003|website=L'Express}}</ref> in contravention of an order from Napoléon. During the [[Napoleonic Wars]], Mauritius became a base from which [[French corsairs]] organised successful raids on British commercial ships. The raids continued until 1810, when a [[Royal Navy]] expedition led by [[Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore]] [[Josias Rowley]], [[Royal Navy|R.N.]], an [[Anglo-Irish]] [[aristocracy (class)|aristocrat]], was sent to capture the island. Despite winning the [[Battle of Grand Port]] against the British, the [[Invasion of Île de France|French could not prevent the British from landing]] at [[Cap Malheureux]] three months later. They formally surrendered the island on the fifth day of the invasion, 3 December 1810,<ref name="Toussaint" /> on terms allowing settlers to keep their land and property and to use the French language and law of France in criminal and civil matters. Under British rule, the island's name reverted to Mauritius.<ref name="govt" />

===British Mauritius (1810–1968)===

{{Main|British Mauritius}}

[[File:Isle of France, 2 December 1810.jpg|thumb|British forces [[Invasion of Isle de France|seizing the Isle of France]] on 2 December 1810]]
[[File:Visual Art of the first indentured Indian labourers arriving in Mauritius (1834).jpg|thumb|alt= Mixed emotions and feelings are portrayed|First indentured Indian workers (1834)]]
The British administration, which began with [[Robert Townsend Farquhar|Sir Robert Farquhar]] as [[Governor of British Mauritius|its first governor]], oversaw rapid social and economic changes. However, it was tainted by the [[Ratsitatanina|Ratsitatane]] episode. Ratsitatane, nephew of King Radama of [[Madagascar]], was brought to Mauritius as a political prisoner. He managed to escape from prison and plotted a rebellion that would free the island's slaves. He was betrayed by his associate Laizaf and was caught by a group of militiamen and [[Summary execution|summarily executed]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Carter|first=Marina|title=Murder and Mayhem in Mauritius: Historical Crime Stories|date=19 January 2015|publisher=Pink Pigeon Press}}</ref><ref name="Selvon">''A New Comprehensive History of Mauritius'', Sydney Selvon, 2012. {{ISBN|978-99949-34-91-1}}</ref>

In 1832, d'Épinay launched the first Mauritian newspaper (''Le Cernéen''), which was not controlled by the government. In the same year, there was a move by the ''procureur-general'' to abolish slavery without compensation to the slave owners. This gave rise to discontent, and, to check an eventual rebellion, the government ordered all the inhabitants to surrender their arms. Furthermore, a stone fortress, Fort Adelaide, was built on a hill (now known as the Citadel hill) in the centre of Port Louis to quell any uprising.<ref name="Toussaint2" /> Slavery was gradually abolished over several years after 1833, and the planters ultimately received two million [[pounds sterling]] in compensation for the loss of their slaves, who had been imported from Africa and [[Madagascar]] during the French occupation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mauritius: Sugar, indentured labour and their consequences (1835–1910)|url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/mauoverview5.htm|access-date=20 September 2020|publisher=EISA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Legacies of British Slave-ownership project|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/search/|access-date=7 July 2021|publisher=University College London}}</ref> The [[Abolitionism in the United Kingdom|abolition of slavery]] had important effects on Mauritius's society, economy and population. The planters brought a large number of [[Indentured servant|indentured labourers]] from India to work in the sugar cane fields. Between 1834 and 1921, around half a million indentured labourers were present on the island. They worked on sugar estates, factories, in transport and on construction sites. Additionally, the British brought 8,740 Indian soldiers to the island.<ref name="govt" /> [[Aapravasi Ghat]], in the bay at [[Port Louis]] and now a [[UNESCO]] site, was the first British colony to serve as a major reception centre for [[indentured servants]]. The labourers brought from India were not always fairly treated, and a Frenchman of German origin, Adolphe de Plevitz, made himself the unofficial protector of these immigrants. In 1871 he helped them to write a petition that was sent to [[Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore|Governor Gordon]]. A commission was appointed and recommended several measures that would affect the lives of Indian labourers during the next fifty years.<ref name="Toussaint" />

In 1885, [[Constitution of Mauritius (1885)|a new constitution]] was introduced. It was referred to as ''Cens Démocratique'' and it incorporated some of the principles advocated by one of the Creole leaders, Onésipho Beaugeard. It created elected positions in the Legislative Council – although the franchise was restricted mainly to the white French and fair-skinned Indian elite who owned real estate. In 1886, Governor [[John Pope Hennessy]] nominated [[Gnanadicarayen Arlanda]] as the first ever [[Indo-Mauritian]] member of the ruling council – despite the sugar oligarchy's preference for rival Indo-Mauritian Emile Sandapa. Arlanda served until 1891.<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 September 2012|title=Nominated members pioneered by Pope Hennessy|url=https://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/politique/deputes-correctifs-nomines-gouverneur-john-pope-hennessy-en-fut-pionnier-avec-choix-conteste/114085/|access-date=30 September 2012|publisher=Le Mauricien}}</ref> In 1903, motorcars were introduced in Mauritius, and in 1910, the first taxis came into service. The electrification of Port Louis took place in 1909, and in the same decade the Mauritius Hydro Electric Company of the [[Amode Ibrahim Atchia|Atchia Brothers]] was authorised to provide power to the towns of upper [[Plaines Wilhems]].
[[File:Numa Desjardins Champ de Mars Port Louis 1880.jpg|thumb|[[Champ de Mars Racecourse]], Port Louis, 1880]]

[[File:The web of empire - a diary of the imperial tour of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York in 1901 (1902) (14763807672).jpg|thumb|Visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later [[George V|King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]) to Mauritius, 1901]]
The 1910s were a period of political agitation. The rising middle class (made up of doctors, lawyers, and teachers) began to challenge the political power of the sugar cane landowners. [[Eugène Laurent]], mayor of Port Louis, was the leader of this new group; his party, [[Action Libérale]], demanded that more people should be allowed to vote in the elections. Action Libérale was opposed by the Parti de l'Ordre, led by Henri Leclézio, the most influential of the sugar magnates.<ref name="Toussaint" /> In 1911, there were riots in Port Louis due to a false rumour that Laurent had been murdered by the oligarchs in Curepipe. This became known as the [[1911 Curepipe riots]]. Shops and offices were damaged in the capital, and one person was killed.<ref name="Dinan">''Mauritius in the making across the censuses 1846–2000'', Monique Dinan. {{ISBN|99903-904-6-0}}</ref> In the same year, 1911, the first public cinema shows took place in Curepipe, and, in the same town, a stone building was erected to house the Royal College.<ref name="Dinan" /> In 1912, a wider telephone network came into service, used by the government, business firms, and a few private households.

[[World War I]] broke out in August 1914. Many Mauritians volunteered to fight in Europe against the Germans and in [[Mesopotamia]] against the Turks. But the war affected Mauritius much less than the wars of the eighteenth century. In fact, the 1914–1918 war was a period of great prosperity, due to a boom in sugar prices. In 1919, the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate came into being, which included 70% of all sugar producers.<ref name="Republic of Mauritius- History">{{Cite web|title=Republic of Mauritius- History|url=http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx|access-date=29 May 2020|website=govmu.org|archive-date=16 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016015207/http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx}}</ref> The 1920s saw the rise of a "retrocessionism" movement, which favoured the retrocession of Mauritius to France. The movement rapidly collapsed because none of the candidates who wanted Mauritius to be given back to France were elected in the 1921 elections. In the post-war recession, there was a sharp drop in sugar prices. Many sugar estates closed down, marking the end of an era for the sugar magnates who had not only controlled the economy but also the political life of the country.
From the end of nominated Arlanda's term in 1891, until 1926, there had been no Indo-Mauritian representation in the Legislative Council. However, at the 1926 elections, Dunputh Lallah and Rajcoomar Gujadhur became the first [[Indo-Mauritians]] to be elected to the Legislative Council. At Grand Port, Lallah won over rivals Fernand Louis Morel and Gaston Gebert; at Flacq, Gujadhur defeated Pierre Montocchio.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2 July 2005|title=Gujadhur and Lallah: Shock waves (1926)|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/gujadhur-and-lallah-shock-waves-1926|access-date=2 July 2005|website=L'Express}}</ref> 1936 saw the birth of the [[Labour Party (Mauritius)|Labour Party]], launched by [[Maurice Curé]]. [[Emmanuel Anquetil]] rallied the urban workers while Pandit Sahadeo concentrated on the rural working class.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Peerthum|first=Satyendra|date=18 February 2004|title=The birth of the Mauritian Labour Party|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/birth-mauritian-labour-party|access-date=18 February 2004|website=L'Express}}</ref> The [[Uba riots of 1937]] resulted in reforms by the local British government that improved labour conditions and led to the un-banning of labour unions.<ref name="js">{{Cite journal|last=Storey|first=William Kelleher|year=1995|title=Small-Scale Sugar Cane Farmers and Biotechnology in Mauritius: The "Uba" Riots of 1937|journal=Agricultural History|volume=69|issue=2|pages=163–176|jstor=3744263}}</ref><ref name="rg">{{Cite journal|last1=Croucher|first1=Richard|last2=Mcilroy|first2=John|date=1 July 2013|title=Mauritius 1937: The Origins of a Milestone in Colonial Trade Union Legislation|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258935447|journal=Labor History|volume=54|issue=3|pages=223–239|doi=10.1080/0023656X.2013.804268|access-date=18 August 2018|s2cid=144176332|issn=0023-656X }}</ref> Labour Day was celebrated for the first time in 1938. More than 30,000 workers sacrificed a day's wage and came from all over the island to attend a giant meeting at the Champ de Mars.<ref>''L'ile Maurice: Vingt-Cinq leçons d'Histoire (1598–1998)'', Benjamin Moutou. {{ISBN|99903-929-1-9}}</ref> Following the dockers' strikes, trade unionist [[Emmanuel Anquetil]] was deported to Rodrigues, [[Maurice Curé]] and Pandit Sahadeo were placed under house arrest, whilst numerous strikers were jailed. Governor Sir [[Bede Clifford]] assisted Mr Jules Leclezio of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate to counter the effects of the strike by using alternative workers known as 'black legs'.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Report of Truth and Justice Commission|url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615081832/http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 June 2016|access-date=25 October 2011|publisher=Government of Mauritius|ref=ISBN 978-99903-1-025-2}}</ref>
At the outbreak of [[World War II]] in 1939, many Mauritians volunteered to serve under the British flag in Africa and the Near East, fighting against the German and Italian armies. Mauritius was never really threatened, but in 1943, several British ships were sunk outside Port Louis by German submarines. In the initial stages of the war, locally recruited military formations were raised in order to defend the country in case the British imperial troops had to leave. On 24 March 1943, the [[Mauritius Regiment]], was created as an imperial unit and a new subsidiary of the East Africa Command (EAC). In late 1943, the 1st Battalion of the Mauritius Regiment (1MR) was sent to Madagascar for training, and in their place a battalion of the [[King's African Rifles]] (KAR) was stationed in Mauritius. The dispatch of the 1MR proved to be politically unpopular on the basis of some troops resenting conscription and the battalion overseas comprising solely non-white troops, exacerbating racial tensions in the country. The 1MR troops were further aggrieved at the segregation they were subject to, unequal pay, physically demanding training, and were fearful of the Japanese soldiers, all these factors culminated in the 1MR mutinying.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jackson|first=Ashley|title=The Madagascar Mutiny of the First Battalion the Mauritius Regiment, December 1943|year=2002|journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research|volume=80|issue=323|pages=232–250|jstor=44230830|issn=0037-9700}}</ref>

During World War II, conditions were hard in the country; the prices of commodities doubled but workers' salaries increased only by 10 to 20 percent. There was civil unrest, and the colonial government censored all trade union activities. However, the labourers of Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate went on strike on 27 September 1943.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Karghoo|first=Christophe|title=Mémoire vivante|publisher=5plus.mu|agency=5Plus Dimanche|url=https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263|access-date=27 September 2003|archive-date=6 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606205902/https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263|url-status=dead}}</ref> Police officers eventually fired directly at the crowd, resulting in the deaths of four labourers.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Peerthum|first=Satteeanund|title=Tribute to the Martyrs of Belle Vue Harel|work=L'Express|publisher=lexpress.mu|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/tribute-martyrs-belle-vue-harel|access-date=3 September 2003}}</ref> This became known as the [[1943 Belle Vue Harel Massacre]].<ref>''Our Struggle, 20th Century Mauritius'', Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Anand Mulloo</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=October 2007|title=The historical significance of Anjalay Coopen|url=http://www.lexpress.mu/node/203804/|access-date=22 January 2015|website=[[L'Express (Mauritius)|L'Express]]}}</ref> Social worker and leader of the Jan Andolan movement [[Basdeo Bissoondoyal]] organised the funeral ceremonies of the four dead labourers.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Peerthum|first1=Satteeanund|last2=Peerthum|first2=Satyendra|title=Labour Day: Remembering the Martyrdom of Anjalay|work=L'Express|publisher=lexpress.mu|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/labour-day-remembering-martyrdom-anjalay|access-date=28 April 2005}}</ref> Three months later, on 12 December 1943, Bissoondoyal organised a mass gathering at "Marie Reine de la Paix" in Port Louis, and the significant crowd of workers from all over the island confirmed the popularity of the Jan Andolan movement.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Soobarah|first=Paramanund|date=29 April 2019|title=MBC defeats a government initiative|url=http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/the-mbc-defeats-a-government-initiative/|access-date=29 April 2019|website=Mauritius Times}}</ref>

After the proclamation of the 1947 [[Constitution of Mauritius]], the general elections were held on 9 August 1948 – and, for the first time, the colonial government expanded the franchise to all adults who could write their name in one of the island's 19 languages, abolishing the previous gender and property qualifications.<ref name="CD">{{Cite web|title=Mauritius – Toward Independence|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-8615.html|access-date=12 March 2023|website=country-data.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Mauritius: The road to independence (1945–1968)|encyclopedia=African Democracy Encyclopaedia Project|publisher=[[Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa]]|url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/mauoverview7.htm|access-date=1 July 2021|date=September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508100629/https://www.eisa.org/wep/mauoverview7.htm|archive-date=8 May 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Guy Rozemont]]'s [[Labour Party (Mauritius)|Labour Party]] won the majority of the votes with 11 of the 19 elected seats won by [[Hinduism|Hindus]]. However, the [[Governor of British Mauritius|Governor-General]] [[Donald Mackenzie-Kennedy]] appointed 12 Conservatives to the Legislative Council on 23 August 1948 to perpetuate the predominance of white [[Franco-Mauritians]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38395|page=4816 |title=Colonial Office, The Church House |date=3 September 1948}}</ref><ref name=CD/> In 1948, [[Emilienne Rochecouste]] became the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council.<ref name="RR">Ramola Ramtohul (2009) [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283122722_Engendering_Mauritian_History_The_Hidden_Controversies_over_Female_Suffrage Engendering Mauritian History: The HiddenControversies over Female Suffrage] ''Afrika Zamani'', No. 17, pp63–80</ref> [[Guy Rozemont]]'s party bettered its position in 1953, and, on the strength of the election results, demanded [[universal suffrage]]. Constitutional conferences were held in London in 1955 and 1957, and the ministerial system was introduced. Voting took place for the first time on the basis of universal adult suffrage on 9 March 1959. The general election was again won by the Labour Party, led this time by Sir [[Seewoosagur Ramgoolam]].<ref name="ram">{{Cite news|title=Histoire: Mauritius Independence 1961–1968|work=Le Mauricien=9 March 2014|url=http://www.lemauricien.com/article/histoire-mauritius-independence-1961-1968|access-date=9 September 2014}}</ref>

A Constitutional Review Conference was held in London in 1961, and a programme of further constitutional advance was established. The 1963 election was won by the Labour Party and its allies. The [[Colonial Office]] noted that politics of a communal nature was gaining ground in Mauritius and that the choice of candidates (by parties) and the voting behaviour (of electors) were governed by ethnic and caste considerations.<ref name=ram/> Around that time, two eminent British academics, [[Richard Titmuss]] and [[James Meade]], published a report of the island's social problems caused by overpopulation and the monoculture of sugar cane. This led to an intense campaign to halt the population explosion, and the decade registered a sharp decline in population growth.<ref>{{cite book|first=Adele|last=Simmons|title=Modern Mauritius: The Politics of Decolonization|publisher=Indiana University Press|location=Bloomington|year=1982|isbn=978-0-25338-658-8|page=145}}</ref>

In early 1965, a political assassination took place in the suburb of Belle-Rose, in the town of Quatre Bornes, where Labour activist Rampersad Surath was beaten to death by thugs of rival party [[Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate|Parti Mauricien]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Sécurité: des gros bras indispensables à certains politiciens|work=L'Express|publisher=lexpress.mu|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/350433/securite-gros-bras-indispensables-certains-politiciens|access-date=2 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Li Ching Hum|first=Philip|title=Belle Rose-Quatre Bornes, Ville des Fleurs|work=Mauritius Times|url=http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/belle-rose-quatre-bornes-ville-des-fleurs/|access-date=22 December 2017}}</ref> On 10 May 1965, [[1965 Mauritius race riots|racial riots]] broke out in the village of ''Trois Boutiques'' near [[Souillac, Mauritius|Souillac]] and progressed to the historic village of [[Mahébourg]]. A nationwide [[state of emergency]] was declared on the whole British colony. The riot was initiated by the murder of Police Constable Beesoo in his vehicle by a Creole gang. This was followed by the murder of a civilian named Mr. Robert Brousse in Trois Boutiques.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Li Ching Hum|first=Philip|date=9 March 2018|title=The downside of freedom|publisher=Defimedia|agency=Le Defi|url=https://defimedia.info/downside-freedom|access-date=9 March 2018}}</ref> The Creole gang then proceeded to the coastal historic village of Mahébourg to assault the Indo-Mauritian spectators who were watching a Hindustani movie at Cinéma Odéon. Mahébourg police recorded nearly 100 complaints of assaults on Indo-Mauritians.<ref name="vm">{{Cite web|date=18 July 2014|title=Port Louis – Rioting against Independence at the General Elections of 1967 – Vintage Mauritius|url=http://vintagemauritius.org/port-louis/port-louis-rioting-independence-general-elections-1967/|access-date=15 August 2018|website=Vintage Mauritius|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Independence and constitutional monarchy (1968–1992) ===
{{Main|Independence of Mauritius}}
{{See also|Mauritius (1968–1992)}}[[File:Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.jpg|thumb|upright|Sir [[Seewoosagur Ramgoolam]], first [[Prime Minister of Mauritius]] at Lod airport, Israel 1962]]

At the Lancaster Conference of 1965, it became clear that Britain wanted to relieve itself of the colony of Mauritius. In 1959, [[Harold Macmillan]] had made his famous "[[Wind of Change (speech)|Wind of Change Speech]]" in which he acknowledged that the best option for Britain was to give complete independence to its colonies. Thus, since the late fifties, the way was paved for independence.<ref>{{Cite news|date=12 March 2014|title=Why independence was irresistible (by Anand Moheeputh)|work=L'Express|url=http://www.lexpress.mu/node/243359/}}</ref>

Later in 1965, after the Lancaster Conference, the [[Chagos Archipelago]] was excised from the territory of Mauritius to form the [[British Indian Ocean Territory]] (BIOT). A general election took place on 7 August 1967, and the [[Independence Party (Mauritius)|Independence Party]] obtained the majority of seats. In January 1968, six weeks before the declaration of independence the [[1968 Mauritian riots]] occurred in Port Louis leading to the deaths of 25 people.<ref name="mg">{{Cite web|date=6 October 2011|title=An eye witness account of the 1968 riots|url=http://www.mauritiusmag.com/?p=598|access-date=15 August 2018|website=mauritiusmag.com|language=en-US|archive-date=16 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816030958/http://www.mauritiusmag.com/?p=598}}</ref><ref name="eisa">{{Cite web|title=EISA Mauritius: The road to independence (1945–1968)|url=https://www.eisa.org.za/wep/mauoverview7.htm|access-date=15 August 2018|website=eisa.org.za}}</ref>

[[File:Stamp Mauritius 1954 5c.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Elizabeth II]] was [[Queen of Mauritius]] from 1968 to 1992.]]

Mauritius adopted a new constitution, and independence was proclaimed on 12 March 1968. Sir [[Seewoosagur Ramgoolam]] became the first prime minister of an independent Mauritius – with [[Queen Elizabeth II]] remaining head of state as Queen of Mauritius.

In 1969, the opposition party, [[Mauritian Militant Movement]] (MMM), was founded, led by [[Paul Bérenger]]. Later, in 1971, the MMM – backed by unions – called a series of strikes in the port, which caused a state of emergency in the country.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Mauritius profile|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13882731|access-date=27 November 2012}}</ref>

The coalition government of the Labour Party and the PMSD (Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate) reacted by curtailing civil liberties and curbing [[freedom of the press]].<ref name="Dinan" /> Two unsuccessful apparent assassination attempts were made against Paul Bérenger in 1971, killing his supporter Fareed Muttur<ref>{{Cite web|title=Déjeuner à Rose Hill: Fareed Muttur est mort à ma place|date=18 July 2017|url=https://www.lemauricien.com/le-mauricien/dejeuner-rose-hill-fareed-muttur-mort-ma-place-declare-paul-berenger/151890/|access-date=18 July 2017|publisher=Le Mauricien}}</ref> and dock worker and activist [[Azor Adelaide|Azor Adélaïde]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 June 2015|title=Affaire Azor Adélaïde|work=Le Mauricien|url=http://www.lemauricien.com/article/affaire-azor-adelaide-reedition-du-livre-d-eric-bahloo-fils-l-des-condamnes/}}</ref> General elections were postponed and public meetings were prohibited. Members of the MMM, including Paul Bérenger, were imprisoned on 23 December 1971. The MMM leader was released a year later.<ref>{{Cite news|last=K.A. Cassimally|date=17–23 March 2016|title=Why are we not taught our own history?|work=Weekly Magazine}}</ref>

In 1973, Mauritius became the first country in Africa to be free from diagnoses of [[malaria]].

In May 1975, a student revolt that started at the [[University of Mauritius]] swept across the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HISTOIRE: Un des hommes derrière le 20 mai 75 raconte|url=http://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/magazine/histoire-des-hommes-derriere-20-mai-75-raconte/31853/|website=Le Mauricien|date=8 June 2015}}</ref> The students were unsatisfied with an education system that did not meet their aspirations, and that gave limited prospects for future employment. On 20 May, thousands of students tried to enter Port-Louis over the Grand River North West bridge, and clashed with police. An act of Parliament was passed on 16 December 1975 to extend the right to vote to 18-year-olds. This was seen as an attempt to appease the frustration of the younger generation.<ref name="Selvon" />

The next general elections took place on [[1976 Mauritian general election|20 December 1976]]. The Labour-CAM coalition won only 28 seats out of 62.<ref>''Untold Stories, A Collection of Socio-Political Essays, 1950–1995'', Sir Satcam Boolell, EOI. {{ISBN|99903-0-234-0}}</ref> The MMM secured 34 seats in Parliament but outgoing Prime Minister Sir [[Seewoosagur Ramgoolam]] managed to remain in office, with a two-seat majority, after striking an alliance with the PMSD of [[Gaetan Duval]].

In 1981, [[United States]] newspapers reported that the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) was planning a covert operation to support the government of Mauritius as part of CIA strategy in the larger [[Cold War]]. According to the Washington Post, citing U.S. government sources, the planned operation was "mainly a quiet CIA effort to slip money" to the Mauritian government.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Getler |first=Michael |date=15 August 1981 |title=Target Was Mauritius, Not Mauritania... |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1981/08/15/target-was-mauritius-not-mauritania/1eac44a7-bc39-4a99-9474-4ec43a9bdbcf/ |access-date=7 March 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> This claim was repeated in a 1987 book by journalist [[Bob Woodward]], who further wrote that the U.S. government feared that Mauritius could become a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] naval base if a "pro-Western" government did not remain in power.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Woodward |first=Bob |title=Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=1987 |isbn=0-671-60117-2 |location=New York, NY |pages=158–159}}</ref>

In 1982 an [[Mauritian Militant Movement|MMM]]-[[Parti Socialiste Mauricien|PSM]] government (led by [[List of prime ministers of Mauritius|PM]] [[Anerood Jugnauth]], [[Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius|Deputy PM]] [[Harish Boodhoo]] and Finance Minister [[Paul Bérenger]]) was elected. However, ideological and personality differences emerged within the MMM and PSM leadership. The power struggle between Bérenger and Jugnauth peaked in March 1983. Jugnauth travelled to New Delhi to attend the [[7th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement|7th Summit]] of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] summit; on his return, Bérenger proposed constitutional changes that would strip power from the Prime Minister. At Jugnauth's request, PM [[Indira Gandhi]] of India planned an armed intervention involving the [[Indian Navy]] and [[Indian Army]] to prevent a coup under the code name [[Operation Lal Dora]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=10 March 2013|title=When India drew Top Secret 'red line' in Mauritius|work=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/when-india-drew-top-secret-red-line-in-mauritius/article4493495.ece|access-date=22 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Medcalf|first=Rory|date=19 March 2013|title=When India (Almost) Invaded Mauritius|work=The Diplomat|url=https://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2013/03/19/when-india-almost-invaded-mauritius/|access-date=22 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|first=David|last=Brewster|url=https://www.academia.edu/7992843|title=India's Ocean: the Story of India's Bid for Regional Leadership}}. Retrieved 13 August 2014</ref>

The [[Mauritian Militant Movement|MMM]]-[[Parti Socialiste Mauricien|PSM]] government split up nine months after the June 1982 election. According to an Information Ministry official the nine months was a "socialist experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|first=John D.|last=Battersby|date=28 December 1987|title=Port Louis Journal; Land of Apartheid Befriends an Indian Ocean Isle|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/28/world/port-louis-journal-land-of-apartheid-befriends-an-indian-ocean-isle.html|access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> [[Harish Boodhoo]] dissolved his party [[Parti Socialiste Mauricien|PSM]] to enable all PSM parliamentarians to join Jugnauth's new party MSM, thus remaining in power whilst distancing themselves from [[Mauritian Militant Movement|MMM]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Lodge|first1=Tom|last2=Kadima|first2=Denis|last3=Pottie|first3=David|title=Mauritius: General election of August 1983|url=https://www.eisa.org/wep/mau1983background.htm|access-date=28 November 2020|publisher=EISA}}</ref> The MSM-Labour-PMSD coalition was victorious at the [[1983 Mauritian general election|August 1983]] elections, resulting in [[Anerood Jugnauth]] as PM and [[Gaëtan Duval]] as [[Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius|Deputy PM]].

That period saw growth in the EPZ (Export Processing Zone) sector. Industrialisation began to spread to villages as well, and attracted young workers from all ethnic communities. As a result, the sugar industry began to lose its hold on the economy. Large retail chains began opening stores in 1985 and offered credit facilities to low-income earners, thus allowing them to afford basic household appliances. There was also a boom in the tourism industry, and new hotels sprang up throughout the island. In 1989 the stock exchange opened its doors, and in 1992, the freeport began operation.<ref name="Dinan" /> In 1990, the [[List of prime ministers of Mauritius|Prime Minister]] lost the vote on changing the Constitution to make the country a republic with Bérenger as president.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jane|last=Perlez|date=27 August 1990|title=Mauritius' Political Quarrel Saves the Queen|work=The New York Times|location=Great Britain; Mauritius|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/27/world/mauritius-political-quarrel-saves-the-queen.html|access-date=6 September 2016}}</ref>

=== Republic (since 1992) ===
On 12 March 1992, Mauritius was proclaimed a republic within the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] and the monarch removed as head of state.<ref name="govt" /> The last [[Governor-General of Mauritius]], [[Veerasamy Ringadoo|Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo]], became the first [[President of Mauritius|President]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bh7zAAAAMAAJ&q=The+last+Governor+General,+Sir+Veerasamy+Ringadoo+became+the+first+President|title=AAPS Newsletter|volume=1|issue= 5–19|page=20|date=1992|publisher=African Association of Political Science|language=en}}</ref> This was under a transitional arrangement, in which he was replaced by [[Cassam Uteem]] later that year.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aM0bAQAAMAAJ&q=Cassam+Uteem|title=Country Profile: Mauritius, Seychelles|page=8|date=2001|publisher=The Unit|language=en}}</ref> Political power remained with the prime minister.

Despite an improvement in the economy, which coincided with a fall in the price of petrol and a favourable dollar exchange rate, the government did not enjoy full popularity. As early as 1984, there was discontent. Through the ''Newspapers and Periodicals Amendment Act'', the government tried to make every newspaper provide a bank guarantee of half a million rupees. Forty-three journalists protested by participating in a public demonstration in Port Louis, in front of Parliament. They were arrested and freed on bail. This caused a public outcry and the government had to review its policy.<ref name="Dinan" />

There was also dissatisfaction in the education sector. There were not enough high-quality secondary colleges to answer the growing demand of primary school leavers who had got through their CPE (Certificate of Primary Education). In 1991, a master plan for education failed to get national support and contributed to the government's downfall.<ref name="Dinan" />

In December 1995, [[Navin Ramgoolam]] was elected as [[List of prime ministers of Mauritius|PM]] of the Labour–MMM alliance. In October 1996, the triple murder of political activists at Gorah-Issac Street in Port Louis led to several arrests and a long investigation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shooting death of 3 Hizbullah activists at Gorah-Issac Rd|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be75c.html|access-date=28 November 2020|publisher=United Nations High Commission for Refugees}}</ref>

The year 1999 was marked by civil unrest and riots in [[1999 Mauritian riots|February]] and then in [[1999 L'Amicale riots|May]]. Following the Kaya riots, President [[Cassam Uteem]] and Cardinal [[Jean Margéot]] toured the country and calm was restored after four days of turmoil.<ref>L'Express, Vendredi 26 février 1999</ref> A commission of enquiry was set up to investigate the root causes of the social disturbance. The resulting report delved into the cause of poverty and qualified many tenacious beliefs as perceptions.<ref>Rapport du Juge Matadeen sur les émeutes de 1999, Imprimerie du Gouvernement, 2000</ref> In January 2000, political activist Rajen Sabapathee was shot dead after he escaped from La Bastille jail.<ref>{{Cite web|title=La vérité sur la mort de mon père|url=https://www.5plus.mu/node/13712|access-date=28 November 2020|publisher=5 Plus}}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

[[File:Mauriceybbrfrinwodas.jpg|thumbnail|Perceived failure of [[Government of Mauritius|the government]] to respond promptly and effectively to the [[MV Wakashio oil spill|MV ''Wakashio'' oil spill]] resulted in anti-government protests.]]

Sir [[Anerood Jugnauth]] of the MSM returned to power in September 2000 after securing an alliance with the MMM. In 2002, the island of [[Rodrigues]] became an autonomous entity within the republic and was thus able to elect its own representatives to administer the island. In 2003, the [[List of prime ministers of Mauritius|prime ministership]] was transferred to [[Paul Bérenger]] of the MMM, and Sir Anerood Jugnauth became president. Bérenger was the first Franco-Mauritian Prime Minister in the country's post-Independence history.

In the [[2005 Mauritian general election|2005 elections]], Navin Ramgoolam became PM under the new coalition of Labour–PMXD–VF–MR–MMSM. In the [[2010 Mauritian general election|2010 elections]] the Labour–MSM–PMSD alliance secured power and Navin Ramgoolam remained PM until 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=afrol News – Mauritius PM starts third term|url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/36129|access-date=24 July 2021|website=afrol.com}}</ref>

The MSM–PMSD–ML coalition was victorious at the [[2014 Mauritian general election|2014 elections]] under Anerood Jugnauth's leadership. Despite disagreements within the ruling alliance that led to the departure of PMSD, the MSM–ML stayed in power for their full 5-year term.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mauritius opposition wins surprise landslide victory|date=12 December 2014|url=https://www.dw.com/en/mauritius-opposition-wins-surprise-landslide-victory/a-18125376|access-date=24 July 2021|publisher=Deutsche Welle|language=en-GB}}</ref>

On 21 January 2017, Sir Anerood Jugnauth announced his resignation and that his son and Finance Minister [[Pravind Jugnauth]] would assume the office of prime minister.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Bob|last=Minzesheimer|date=22 January 2017|title=Mauritius: PM Anerood Jugnauth to hand over to son|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38709203|access-date=22 January 2017|website=BBC News}}</ref> The transition took place as planned on 23 January 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Jean Paul|last=Arouff|date=23 January 2017|title=New Mauritius PM takes over from father, opponents cry foul|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mauritius-politics-idUSKBN15715K|access-date=23 January 2017|work=Reuters}}</ref>

In 2018, Mauritian president [[Ameenah Gurib-Fakim]] resigned over a financial scandal.<ref>{{Cite news|date=13 March 2018|title=Africa's only female president to quit|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43343550}}</ref> The incumbent president is [[Prithvirajsing Roopun]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Office of the President – Home|url=http://president.govmu.org/English/Pages/default.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508045133/http://president.govmu.org/English/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=8 May 2015|access-date=22 February 2019|website=Government of Mauritius}}</ref> who has served since December 2019.

In the November 2019 [[2019 Mauritius General Elections|Mauritius general elections]], the ruling [[Militant Socialist Movement]] (MSM) won more than half of the seats in parliament, securing incumbent Prime Minister [[Pravind Jugnauth|Pravind Kumar Jugnauth]] a new five-year term.<ref>{{Cite news|date=8 November 2019|title=Mauritius elects incumbent PM for five-year term|work=Reuters.com|agency=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mauritius-election-idUSKBN1XI177}}</ref>

On 25 July 2020, Japanese-owned bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off the coast of Mauritius, leaking up to 1,000 tonnes of heavy oil into a pristine lagoon.<ref>{{Cite news|date=24 September 2020|title=Mauritius takes stock of oil spill two months later|publisher=France 24|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200924-mauritius-takes-stock-of-oil-spill-two-months-later}}</ref> Its location on the edge of protected fragile marine ecosystems and a wetland of international importance made the [[MV Wakashio oil spill|''MV Wakashio'' oil spill]] one of the worst [[environmental disaster]]s ever to hit the western Indian Ocean.<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 August 2020|title=Mauritius oil spill compensation could be limited by maritime law technicality|url=https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/08/28/mauritius-oil-spill-compensation-limited-maritime-law-technicality/|access-date=24 July 2021|website=Climate Home News}}</ref>

On 10 November 2024, the opposition coalition, [[Alliance du Changement]], won 60 of the 64 seats in the Mauritian [[2024 Mauritian general election|general election]]. Its leader, former prime minister [[Navin Ramgoolam]], became new prime minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mauritius election: Government suffers electoral wipeout |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y3pg0ey99o |work=www.bbc.com}}</ref>