Which destinations are covered in Tamil indenture records?

Our database covers Tamil indenture migration to: Mauritius (241,000+ records via III), Fiji (12,000+ records via Girmitiya Madras), South Africa – Natal (152,000+ records via GLDC), Suriname (1,000,000+ civil registration & slavery records), UK passenger lists (6,000+ records via TNA), plus VOC crew records — and diaspora destinations Trinidad, Guyana, Malaysia, Reunion, Jamaica, Seychelles, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Mauritius received the largest number of Tamil migrants (1834-1910), followed by Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Fiji, and Guyana.

What ships transported Tamil indentured laborers?

Major ships in Tamil indenture migration include: Truro (Madras to Guyana, 1860s), Sheila (Madras to Mauritius, multiple voyages 1850s-1870s), Hesperus, Atlas, British Empire, Ganges, Main, Syria, and hundreds of others. Ships typically departed from Madras (Chennai) or Pondicherry and took 6-12 weeks to reach destinations. Each ship manifest listed 200-500 migrants with detailed information about each passenger.

How do I search for my Tamil ancestor in indenture records?

To search Tamil indenture records: (1) Enter your ancestor's name or father's name in the search box above - try multiple spelling variations as names were often transliterated inconsistently (e.g., Krishnan/Kishan/Kistnasamy). (2) If you know the destination country (Mauritius, Fiji, etc.), filter by provider to narrow results. (3) Use the year range filter if you know approximate migration dates (1834-1920). (4) Try searching by village name or district if direct name searches fail. (5) Search by indenture number if you have it from family documents. Create a free account to save matches and connect records to your family tree.

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Indenture records matching "Abboy"

Q: What information do indenture records contain?

Tamil indenture records typically include: full name of migrant, father's name (patronymic), age at departure, caste/community, district and village in Tamil Nadu, physical description (height, marks, complexion), ship name, indenture number or immigration pass number, port of departure (Madras/Pondicherry), date of departure and arrival, destination colony, employer or estate assignment, and sometimes family relationships (if migrating with spouse or children). The level of detail varies by colonial archive and time period.

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10 matches — scanned Natal, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad + Sri Lanka registers

From sourceGLDC

ABBOY

Listed in the GLDC archive.

Indenture No: 24910 | Father: MUNUSAMY RAJA | Sex: M | Caste: Raja | District: CHINGLEPUT

ShipMars II

Year1881

OriginCHINGLEPUT

VillageSAIDAPET

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No24910

ArrivalMay 1881 Mars II Madras

EmployerHarrison, H.P. Rosehill Est, Avoca Durban Sugar

Source: Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal — Ships' List of Indentured Indians to Natal, 1860–1911 (opens in new tab) — Academic database — attribution required

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From sourceIII

Abboy

Father: Munusamy Raja

Listed in the III archive.

ShipMARS II

Year1881

OriginChengalpattu

VillageSaidapet

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No24910

Source: The Indentured Indians (theiii.in) — indenture ships' lists (South Africa, Fiji, Suriname) (opens in new tab) — Community indenture database — attribution

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From sourceGLDC

ABBOY

Listed in the GLDC archive.

Indenture No: 21655 | Father: NURSIMULU | Sex: M | Caste: Vannia | District: CHINGLEPUT

ShipVimeira II

Year1879

OriginCHINGLEPUT

VillageSAIDAPET

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No21655

ArrivalSep 1879 Vimeira II Madras

EmployerMilner, Thomas Cross Redcliffe Estate Sugar

Source: Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal — Ships' List of Indentured Indians to Natal, 1860–1911 (opens in new tab) — Academic database — attribution required

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From sourceIII

Abboy

Father: Nursimulu

Listed in the III archive.

ShipVIMEIRA II

Year1879

OriginChengalpattu

VillageSaidapet

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No21655

Source: The Indentured Indians (theiii.in) — indenture ships' lists (South Africa, Fiji, Suriname) (opens in new tab) — Community indenture database — attribution

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From sourceGLDC

ABBOY

Listed in the GLDC archive.

Indenture No: 16472 | Father: RUNGIA CHETTY | Sex: M | Caste: Cavarai | District: CHINGLEPUT

ShipMalabar

Year1878

OriginCHINGLEPUT

VillageSAIDAPET

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No16472

ArrivalApr 1878 Malabar Madras

EmployerProspect Hall Estate Umgeni Durban Sugar

Source: Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal — Ships' List of Indentured Indians to Natal, 1860–1911 (opens in new tab) — Academic database — attribution required

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From sourceIII

Abboy

Father: Rungia Chetty

Listed in the III archive.

ShipMALABAR

Year1878

OriginChengalpattu

VillageSaidapet

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No16472

Source: The Indentured Indians (theiii.in) — indenture ships' lists (South Africa, Fiji, Suriname) (opens in new tab) — Community indenture database — attribution

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From sourceIII

Jeer

Father: Abboy

Listed in the III archive.

ShipPONGOLA XI

Year1892

OriginChengalpattu

VillageSaidapet

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No51285

Source: The Indentured Indians (theiii.in) — indenture ships' lists (South Africa, Fiji, Suriname) (opens in new tab) — Community indenture database — attribution

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From sourceIII

Chinnamma

Father: Abboy

Listed in the III archive.

ShipUMZINTO XLIV

Year1878

OriginChengalpattu

VillageSaidapet

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No132318

Source: The Indentured Indians (theiii.in) — indenture ships' lists (South Africa, Fiji, Suriname) (opens in new tab) — Community indenture database — attribution

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From sourceGLDC

CHINNAMMA

Listed in the GLDC archive.

Indenture No: 132318 | Father: ABBOY | Sex: F | Caste: Dhoby | District: CHINGLEPUT

ShipUmzinto XLIV

Year1907

OriginCHINGLEPUT

VillageSAIDAPET

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No132318

ArrivalJun 1907 Umzinto XLIV Madras

EmployerUmhloti Valley Central Sugar Mill & Verulam Sugar

Source: Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal — Ships' List of Indentured Indians to Natal, 1860–1911 (opens in new tab) — Academic database — attribution required

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From sourceGLDC

JEER

Listed in the GLDC archive.

Indenture No: 51285 | Father: ABBOY | Sex: M | Caste: Uppara | District: CHINGLEPUT

ShipPongola XI

Year1892

OriginCHINGLEPUT

VillageSAIDAPET

DestinationSouth Africa

Indenture No51285

ArrivalOct 1892 Pongola XI Madras

EmployerArgo, Charles Durban Other

Source: Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal — Ships' List of Indentured Indians to Natal, 1860–1911 (opens in new tab) — Academic database — attribution required

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Understanding Tamil Indenture Records (1834-1920)

What Are Tamil Indenture Records?

Tamil indenture records are historical documents from 1834-1920 that tracked Indian laborers who migrated to British, French, and Dutch colonies under contract (indenture) labor systems. After the abolition of slavery in 1833, colonial plantations needed workers — over 1.5 million Indians, including approximately 500,000 Tamils, migrated as indentured laborers to sugar estates, tea plantations, and infrastructure projects across the world.

These records include ship manifests, immigration passes, arrival registers, and employment contracts. They typically contain the migrant's name, father's name, age, caste, village of origin (often in Tamil Nadu), physical description, ship name, departure port, arrival date, and destination.

Major Destinations for Tamil Migrants

Mauritius (1834-1910)

241,000+ recordsvia III (Indentured Immigration Index)

Largest Tamil diaspora destination. Ships departed from Madras and Pondicherry every 2-3 weeks during peak migration (1860-1890). Voyage duration: 6-8 weeks.

Fiji (1879-1916)

12,000+ recordsvia Girmitiya Madras

Tamil migrants from Madras Presidency. "Girmitiya" (from English "agreement") refers to indentured laborers. Voyage: 8-10 weeks via Colombo.

South Africa – Natal (1860-1911)

152,000+ recordsvia GLDC (Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre)

Natal sugar estates. The Truro (1860) — the first indentured ship — departed from Madras. Voyage: 10-12 weeks via Cape of Good Hope.

United Kingdom — passenger lists (1890-1960)

6,000+ recordsvia TNA (The National Archives, Kew)

UK outward passenger lists (Board of Trade BT 26/27) — ships leaving British ports for India and the colonies. Catalogue-level: useful for provenance, not per-person names.

Suriname (1873-1916)

Archives in progress

Dutch Guiana plantations. Tamil migrants via British India. Ships departed Madras and Calcutta. Voyage: 8-10 weeks.

Origin Ports and Ship Routes

Madras (Chennai) — Primary Departure Port

The vast majority of Tamil migrants departed from Madras Harbor. Recruitment centers (depots) operated in Madras city where migrants underwent medical examination, received travel documents (immigration pass), and boarded ships. Common routes: Madras → Mauritius (6-8 weeks), Madras → Fiji (8-10 weeks via Colombo), Madras → Guyana/Trinidad (10-12 weeks via Cape of Good Hope).

Pondicherry (Puducherry) — French Territory

French colonial port serving migrants to French colonies (Reunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique) and some British destinations. Smaller volume than Madras but significant for southern Tamil Nadu districts (Tanjore, Tiruchirapalli).

Notable Ships in Tamil Indenture Migration

Hundreds of ships transported Tamil migrants between 1834-1920. Major vessels include:

Truro

Madras → Guyana (1860s), Natal

Sheila

Madras → Mauritius (1850s-70s)

Hesperus

Madras → Mauritius & Caribbean

Atlas

Madras → Fiji & Mauritius

British Empire

Madras → Natal, South Africa

Ganges

Multiple routes from Madras

Main

Madras → Trinidad (1870s-90s)

Syria

Madras → Mauritius & Réunion

Fath Al Salem

Early ship to Trinidad (1840s-50s)

Ship manifests list each passenger with detailed information, making them invaluable genealogical sources. Search by ship name above if you know your ancestor's vessel.

What Information Do Indenture Records Contain?

Typical fields in Tamil indenture records:

Full name of migrant

Often transliterated from Tamil

Father's name (patronymic)

Critical for Tamil identification

Age at departure

Usually 18-35 years old

Caste / community

E.g., Pariah, Vellala, Naidu

Village of origin

District and taluk when recorded

Physical description

Height, marks, complexion

Ship name

Vessel that transported them

Indenture/pass number

Unique identifier

Departure & arrival dates

Exact dates when recorded

Destination & estate

Colony and employer assignment

Family relationships

If migrating with spouse/children

Note: The level of detail varies by colonial archive, time period, and record type. Earlier records (1840s-1860s) tend to have less information than later ones (1880s-1920).

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