Mauritian historian evaluates role of Muslims, Ottoman ties in Mauritius' history

By Faruk Tokat and Faruk Hanedar

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius (AA) - Mauritian historian Assad Bhuglah evaluated the importance of Mauritian Muslims in the country's history and their relations with the Ottoman Empire.

Bhuglah, recognized as one of the country's significant intellectuals, spoke to Anadolu about the history of Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, focusing on the periods of French and British colonialism, the influence of Muslims, and their ties with the Turks.

Bhuglah, who has conducted significant studies on the history of Mauritian Muslims, said the island was first discovered by Arabs in the 10th century and used as a station for replenishing drinking water for their ships or storing goods before sailing elsewhere.

The island, which the Arabs did not colonize, later experienced Dutch, French, and British colonial periods.

- European colonialism in Mauritius and early Muslim settlements

Bhuglah noted that the Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover Mauritius in 1507 but did not stay long.

The Dutch exploited the island's ebony trees for shipbuilding from 1598 to 1710 and exterminated the dodo birds they used for food.

They struggled to settle due to rat infestations that caused cholera.

"The French colonized the island in 1715. They brought slaves from Africa to work on the agricultural fields and to do other difficult manual jobs. They imposed their French culture, French language, and Catholic religion on the people they ruled," Bhuglah said.

Bhuglah explained that the French initially intended to cultivate coffee and brought coffee seeds and plants from Mocha, Yemen.

However, they preferred to focus on growing sugarcane, which was more resilient to cyclonic winds.

Bhuglah mentioned that in 1735, Mahe de la Bourdonnais was appointed the governor of the French colony, then known as Ile de France.

He aimed to transform the island into a naval base by building a port, for which he sought the expertise of Muslim sailors known as "lascars."

These lascars settled in an area near the capital Port Louis, which was known at the time as "Camp des Lascars," now Plaine Verte.

During the French colonial rule, the island's population consisted of French, Afro-slaves, and Lascars (Muslims).

Bhuglah explained that the British discovered the island's strategic location for controlling ships bound for India and seized it in 1810, renaming it Mauritius.

"But in a spirit of compromise, the British allowed the descendants of French magnates, who were controlling the economy and business, to retain the use of French language and French laws," he said.

Bhuglah noted that the British brought workers from India, including many Muslims, to work in the sugarcane fields.

These Muslims contributed to the island's commercial development.

"The Muslim traders concentrated in the commercial area of the city of Port Louis, where they built the second-most important masjid of the island, known as Jummah Mosque," he added.

Bhuglah emphasized that during the French colonial period, only the French language and Catholicism were permitted.

However, the Muslim Lascars, through their hard work and struggles, succeeded in negotiating with French colonists in 1805 to build the island's first mosque, known as "Camp des Lascars Mosque."

Bhuglah highlighted the diverse composition of the island's population, consisting of Hindus (50%), Christians (including those of African descent and approximately 1% whites, totaling 29%), Muslims (20%), and Chinese (1%).

He said: "As Mauritius is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural language, each ethnic group maintains its own cultural language: Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telegu, Marathi, Arabic, and Chinese.

"Recently, the Kreol dialect (a patois derived from the French language), which is spoken by all cultural groups, has become the national language," he added.

- Mauritius' historical figures

He also provided information about significant historical figures and events related to the island.

"During French rule, Gassy Sobdar, the first imam of the first mosque, played a leading role in establishing Islam in Mauritius.

"His son, Najourdine Gassy, maintained close contact with the Ottoman Empire until the 1870s. Evidence of correspondence between him and the Sublime Porte can be found in Turkish archives," he said.

"Doctor Idrice Goumany was the first Muslim to graduate as a medical doctor from Scotland in 1886. Despite his European education, he always wore the Ottoman fez (hat)," he noted.

"He sacrificed his life treating patients suffering from deadly smallpox. Important figures like Doctor Hassen Sakir, Ghulam Mohammad Dawjee Atchia, and Sir Abdul Razaque Mohamad also played significant roles in the political awakening of Mauritians, especially Muslims.

He stressed: "Without the support of Sir Abdul Razaque Mohamed's political party, it would have been difficult for Mauritius to gain independence from British colonial rule in 1968."

- 'Muslims in Mauritius looked to the Ottoman Empire for their security'

Bhuglah explained that the Ottoman navy ensured the safety of pilgrims whose ships were attacked by European pirates, saying: "Muslims in Mauritius always looked to the Ottoman Empire for their security."

"When social unrest occurred in Mauritius, Muslims requested intervention from the Ottoman navy. In 1866, the Ottoman ship Bursa visited Port Louis," he said.

In his book Gassy Sobdar and the Pioneering Lascars of the 18th and 19th Centuries, Bhuglah dedicated a chapter to the connection between the Ottoman Empire and Mauritius.

He said: "There were consular relations between Mauritius and the Ottoman Empire. Documents in Ottoman archives show that Ottomans provided aid to Mauritius when cyclones hit.

"Additionally, Mauritians generously contributed to victims of wars and earthquakes in Türkiye. Muslims in Mauritius also contributed to the fund for the construction of the Hejaz Railway," he said.

- Türkiye-Mauritius relations

Bhuglah noted that there were no connections between Türkiye and Mauritius until diplomatic relations were established in 1996.

Bashir Currimjee, a prominent businessman from Mauritius, was appointed as Türkiye's honorary consul in Port Louis, and relations entered a new phase in 2010 when Türkiye opened an embassy in Madagascar with accreditation to Mauritius.

Bhuglah served as the chief negotiator for Mauritius in the Free Trade Agreement with Türkiye, which came into effect on June 1, 2013.

He mentioned that Turkish Airlines' first flight to Mauritius in December 2015 and the trade agreement and air connectivity contributed to the development of relations.

Discussing the future of diplomatic relations between Mauritius and Türkiye, Bhuglah said: "Relations will further develop thanks to increased people-to-people interactions."

"Secondly, Mauritius is a member of the African Union, with which Türkiye has developed a partnership relationship.

He noted: "Thirdly, the increasing number of Mauritian students studying at Turkish universities will have a positive impact on cultural interaction.

"Many Mauritians watch Turkish TV series, and Turkish actors are highly admired by Mauritian fans," Bhuglah added.

He also noted: "Mauritians and Turks are passionate about football. Frequent visits by Turkish football stars to Mauritius will significantly boost bilateral relations."

- 'Kokni men distinguishable by their Ottoman hat'

Bhuglah also mentioned the significant contribution of Muslim traders who came to the island alongside Indian laborers and the Kokni community brought by the British to work at Port Louis Harbor.

He said: "The Koknis are a clan from the Konkan region near Bombay on the west coast of India."

"Their ancestry traces back to Arab traders and sailors who settled on India's west coast." Bhuglah noted that they spent much of their time at sea.

The British used the Koknis to work at Port Louis Harbor, where tying and untying ships were dangerous manual tasks, leading to frequent loss of life and property.

In his book "Kokni Diaspora in Mauritius," Bhuglah detailed the lives of this community:

"The harbor could not operate without the participation of the Kokni community. They were devout Muslims and lived in an organized manner," he said.

"They were very sensitive to the cause of the Ottomans. Working at the harbor, they frequently met the crews of Ottoman-Turkish ships transiting through Port Louis Harbor."

He noted: "Through these contacts, they were informed about events in the Muslim world. They even established a fund in Mauritius to help their Turkish brothers affected by the earthquake."

Bhuglah stressed: "Kokni men were distinguishable by their Ottoman fez."

- Muslims used their political power to gain their rights

Bhuglah highlighted that Muslims preserved their cultural and religious heritage by building institutions such as mosques, madrasas, and waqfs.

He noted that they also used their political power to gain recognition of their rights, with Mauritian laws granting Muslims the right to build mosques, worship, and celebrate holidays.

Bhuglah also said: "Every Friday, Muslim officers have a right to a two-hour leave to attend Friday prayers. Arabic and Urdu are taught as elective subjects to Muslim students in primary schools. Muslims have designated slots for special religious programs on national radio and television. There are no restrictions on Muslims wearing traditional attire. Halal food is available in the market."

Bhuglah noted that Mauritius has an aging population and that migration driven by socio-economic conditions is disrupting the Muslim community structure in the country.

He suggested that Mauritian Muslims could strengthen their ties with other Muslims by sending students for higher education to Muslim countries and establishing business connections with their counterparts in these countries.

* Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul