Book review: The story of Mauritius, from dodos to democracy
A thrilling account of Mauritius' adventurous history illuminates much that is special about the Indian Ocean island nation.
Olivier Hein's book, Star and Key: the historical adventure of Mauritius, masterfully tells the story of the island from its volcanic origins to modern day democracy. Hein avoids academic jargon and instead tells a captivating tale of the island's evolution. The narrative begins with the volcanic forces that rose from the depths of the Indian Ocean, gradually forming the islands of Mauritius.
The island's first inhabitants were birds, possibly ancestors of the dodo, which arrived from Madagascar. Arab sailors were likely the first to discover the islands, followed by Chinese treasure fleets. Portuguese explorer Domingos Fernandez was the first to establish a depot in Mauritius to support the spice trade route. The Dutch soon followed, drawn by the lucrative spice trade, leading to the rise of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which became a global power.
By 1637, the VOC's worth was estimated at over $8 trillion, making it the richest company in history.
The Dutch introduced slavery to Mauritius, bringing 95 Malagasy inhabitants to work in ebony tree felling. Later, indentured labor replaced slavery, alongside the cultivation of sugar cane. Dutch rule ended abruptly due to piracy, hunger, and the small population of convicts. France claimed the island in 1810, renaming it the Isle de France. Under the leadership of Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the French transformed the island with a modern port, shipyards, hospital, and improved sugar industry.
Mauritius has a diverse population today, with 68% of Indian-Mauritian ethnicity, 27% Mauritian Creoles, and significant minorities of Chinese and European descent. Notable figures include Sino-Mauritian Moilin Jean Ah-Chuen, Joseph Maurice Paturau, Renganaden Seeneevassen, Abdool Rasack Mohamed, and Sookdeo Bissoondoyal, whose faces grace Mauritian banknotes.
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