16
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2016
formation of civil society in a colonial structure. Bahadur’s
Coolie Woman, using primary sources from the United
Kingdom, highlights how British governance changed as a
result of the influx of Indians into the colonies.
For example, due to the conditions in early sugar cane
plantations, British authorities affected changes that were
designed to make the daily lives of indentured Indian
laborers easier. Among British colonial administrators,
easing the daily burdens of Indians had multiple purposes:
aspiring to the British ideal of being a civilizing force in
the colonies; making Indian workers more loyal to the
plantations in which they worked; and allowing for increased
inroads for Christian missionaries through avenues such as
healthcare and education.4
Gradually, Indians in the West Indies forged a new identity
and would shape the region’s culture. Despite racial
hostilities during the first phase of settlement, the exchanges
between Indians and Blacks in the British West Indies would
dramatically change as the nineteenth century progressed
and the twentieth century dawned.
D
The Second Phase: Acculturation
and Exchange
uring the first few decades of the migration of Indian
workers to other parts of the British Empire, many
workers returned to India after their terms of servitude
ended. However, an increasing number of them, including
those who had served previous terms of indenture,
remained. Despite unequal conditions and the frequent
tensions with other groups in the colonies, Indians found