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

From sourceGLDC

ABDULSAMAD

Listed in the GLDC archive.

Indenture No: 30271 | Father: NATTAR SAHIB | Sex: M | Caste: Labbay | District: NORTH ARCOT | EMPLOYER NGR [NGR= NATAL GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS]

ShipCastleton I
Year1883
OriginNORTH ARCOT
VillageARNI
DestinationSouth Africa
Indenture No30271
ArrivalOct 1883 Castleton I Madras
EmployerEffingham Estates, (S. Crookes) 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

Abdulsamad

Father: Nattar Sahib

Listed in the III archive.

ShipCASTLETON I
Year1883
OriginVellore
VillageArani
DestinationSouth Africa
Indenture No30271

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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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Tamil indenture records are historical documents from 1834-1920 that tracked Indian laborers who migrated to British, French, and Dutch colonies under contract (indenture) labor systems.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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