The 1911 Curepipe riots refer to violent clashes which broke out in the historic town of Curepipe and then spread to Port Louis on the island of Mauritius on 19 January 1911. The riots also came to be known as Election Rabble Riots of 1911 by the administrators in London.
Clash of rival gangs
The riots started out as a political disturbance in the town of
Curepipe
Curepipe () also known as ''La Ville-Lumière'' (The City of Light), is a town in Mauritius, located in the Plaines Wilhems District, the eastern part also lies in the Moka District. The town is administered by the Municipal Council of Curepipe. ...
on Curepipe Road which resulted in a clash between
Creole followers of
Eugène Laurent (
Action Libérale) against white
Franco Mauritian supporters of
Armand Esnouf (
Parti de l'Ordre
The Rue de Poitiers Committee (), best known as Party of Order (), was a political group formed by monarchists and conservatives in the French Parliament during the French Second Republic. It included monarchist members from both the Orléanist an ...
or Oligarchy). This came at a time when Eugène Laurent had celebrated his victory over his rival
William Newton (Mauritius) at the
1911 elections held on 18 January 1911. Curepipe also happened to be where a significant number of prominent business people resided. Some of these residents of Curepipe were attacked when they departed from a train when it reached its destination in
Port Louis
Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's ec ...
. The rioters also destroyed several businesses located in the capital city of Port Louis.
The riots resulted in the death of two civilians.
Military intervention
Eventually there was military intervention by the regiment which was stationed on the island. However they did not have to use their weapons. The regiment, consisting predominantly of Sikh soldiers, formed part of the
Hong Kong Singapore Battalion, Royal Garrison Artillery
Events prior to the 1911 Riots
There had been a build-up of political tension leading to the 1911 Riots. In fact the elections for the Council of Government were held in 1911. Due to the planned immigration of Indian labourers to the island since 1834 following the
Abolition of Slavery
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The British ...
there had been a significant change in the ethnic composition of the working population, made up mainly of
Creoles and
Indians. During the years prior to the 1911 riots the need for representation and better working and living conditions were being advocated by the likes of
Adolphe de Plevitz and
Manilal Doctor. In fact soon after his arrival in Mauritius in 1907 lawyer
Manilal Doctor assisted the political party
Action Libérale of
Eugène Laurent in its campaign against its rival the
Oligarchy Party.
On the other hand, there were continual debates over the suitability of the new Constitution. The 1909 Royal Commission of Enquiry witnessed a strong push to revert to the old Constitution of 1832.
Royal Commission of Enquiry
A Royal Commission of Enquiry was instigated after the 1911 riots. There had been various such hearings in prior years but the riots exposed the need for legislative changes to meet the requirements of the complex society.
References
{{reflist
Murder in Mauritius
History of Mauritius
Ethnic riots
Riots and civil disorder in Mauritius