|
Find Mauritius
Hotels and Resorts in close proximity to many of Mauritius top attractions.
With huge list of Hotels and Resorts in Mauritius, you can choose
which one is best for your holiday needs.
Mauritius
Culture
While many countries claim they are
cosmopolitan, only a few really qualify. Mauritius is one of the
rare authentically cosmopolitan societies. Where else could so many
towns and villages boast of a Catholic church, a Muslim mosque,
and a Hindu temple within walking distance from each other? And
if you are lucky, you might even find a Chinese pagoda in the vicinity!
One little-known cemetery at Bambous hosts a burial ground with
a Muslim and a ... Jewish section!!
A little history helps explain this
peculiar mix. The French took over the island from the Dutch settlers
(notorious for having eaten the Dodos down to the very last!) around
1715. The French brought over slaves from Africa (particularly from
Senegal, Guinea, Mozambique and Madagascar) to work in the sugar-cane
plantations. The Mauritian Creole, now in quasi-universal use on
the island, probably evolved during those years as some sort of
lingua franca between slaves
and masters.
The British became very interested
in the island in the early eighteenth century because it provided
the perfect transit for ships en route to India. The British eventually
won the island over from the French in 1810. British rule was essentially
administrative and the French colonists were allowed to stay. Things
did not change much for the unfortunate African slaves until, yielding
to the pressure of abolitionists, the colonists emancipated them
in the 1830s-40s. To make up for this sudden labour shortage, the
British brought indentured labourers from India (mainly Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat) to
the island. Within a few decades, people of Indian origin were a
majority in the island.
The early twentieth century also
saw the arrival of Chinese settlers (Hakka and Cantonese) who sought
their fortune in retail trade. Mauritius earned its independence
from Britain, following political disquiet in the 1960s. Since then
the country has been under a constitutional rule particularly attentive
to the political representation of the minorities and to their equal
access to healthcare, education and employment. If anything, the
twenty-five odd years since independence have seen a consolidation
of ethnic identities, never, however, at the expense of the unity
of the nation.
And if you are still wondering about
the Jewish cemetery at Bambous, here's the story. Jewish refugees
from East Europe (Poland in particular) tried to reach Palestine
in the early 1940s to escape the Nazi persecution. They travelled
down the west coast of Africa, past the Cape of Good Hope and into
the Indian Ocean. They were taken by the British at this point,
brought to Mauritius and made to stay there until the end of the
war. Some of them died and were buried in Mauritius on a ground
they share with Muslims.
|
Make
Your Holiday Extra Special - Visit Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
ALPHABETICAL
LISTING OF DUBAI HOTELS
|
|
|
|
|
|
