The Mahatma Gandhi Institute Indian Immigration Archives is undoubtedly the largest repository of documentation and photographic collection of the 19th century Indian villagers recruited for Mauritius. The Indian Immigration Archives has in its custody more than 2,000 volumes of original documents, which are of tremendous historical importance. These documents are more than 165 years old and include: the arrival registers of nearly half a million Indentured Immigrants between 1834 – 1913 embarked from the ports of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Among these documents, there are Marriage Certificates (1850 – 1920), Contractual Engagement and Distribution (1842 – 1859), Correspondence and miscellaneous departmental records (1868 – 1920). The Museum also has a unique holding of 12, 5000 passport size photographs of Indian immigrants, including workers from other countries. The photographs were taken as from 1867 at the Immigration Office located at the landing place of Indentured Labourers at the Immigration Square.

Indian Immigration Archives - A rich treasure trove

The IIA is a place for research and discovery of your roots. A wide range of historical information is available on the indentured immigrants. The MGI IIA has in its custody:

• Arrival registers of nearly half a million indentured immigrants embarked from the ports of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay

• Marriage Certificates (1850 - 1920)

• Contractual engagement and distribution documents (1842 – 1859)

• Correspondences and miscellaneous departmental records (1868-1920)

• Unique collection of nearly 200,000 passport size photographs of Indian Immigrants, including some Chinese and African workers who came during the immigration period in the late 19th Century

• Vagrant registers