Born Then
1834–1917

Life during the Indian indenture system

Be born in a place it hit, a few years before it began, and see what it did to five ordinary lives.

What it meant for ordinary people

After slavery was abolished in British colonies, about 1.3 million Indians went abroad on five-year labour contracts to sugar colonies such as Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, Natal and Fiji. Conditions were harsh and many never returned. The system ended in 1917.

How hard it hits each person in the game (risk of death, of being conscripted, of leaving) comes from our model, estimated from the sources.

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