Latest / The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History / The 18th-Century Slave Trade in the Indian Ocean
Transcript
- Lucas: We've talked a lot about the Atlantic — the Middle Passage, the Caribbean plantations, the Americas. But the enslavement of Africans wasn't confined to that ocean. There was another slave trade, running from East Africa across the Indian Ocean, and it was just as brutal, just as large, and it lasted even longer — well into the 20th century. Luna: I don't think I've ever heard that discussed in detail. Where did those captives go? Lucas: Many destinations — the Arabian Peninsula, Persia, India, and the islands of the Indian Ocean like Mauritius and Réunion. Today I want to focus on the 18th-century French slave trade to the Mascarene Islands — that's Mauritius, called Île de France at the time, and Réunion, then called Bourbon. These islands became sugar plantation economies, much like the Caribbean, but they were supplied with captives from Mozambique and the Swahili coast. Lucas: The French Compagnie des Indes — the French East India Company — ran the trade in the early 1700s. They'd sail from ports like Lorient in France, around the Cape of Good Hope, and then up to the Swahili coast or across to Mozambique to pick up enslaved people. One ship, the Le Brun, left Lorient in 1729, bound for Mozambique. Luna: Le Brun. What do we know about its voyage? Lucas: We have a remarkable account from a French officer on board. He describes sailing into the harbor at Mozambique Island, which was a Portuguese possession but also a hub for the slave trade. The captain traded textiles, firearms, and alcohol with local chiefs for captives. Over several months they loaded nearly 500 men, women, and children onto the ship. The conditions were hellish — the hold was packed, disease rampant. By the time they reached Île de France, about a quarter had died. Luna: Five hundred people in a ship built for cargo? That's the same tight packing we've heard about in the Atlantic. Lucas: Exactly the same logic — maximize profit per voyage regardless of human life. On Île de France, the survivors were sold at auction to planters who grew sugar, coffee, and indigo. The island's population of enslaved people skyrocketed: from about 6,000 in 1735 to over 60,000 by 1789. The free white population was only about 6,000, so the enslaved outnumbered them ten to one. Lucas: What's interesting is that unlike the Atlantic trade, where most captives came from West and Central Africa, here the majority were from East Africa — especially from the Makua and Yao peoples in what's now Mozambique and Tanzania. They spoke Bantu languages, had their own cultures, and were completely cut off from their homes. Luna: So the Middle Passage wasn't the only horrific ocean crossing. Did the enslaved try to resist? Lucas: Resistance took many forms. On the plantations, there were work slowdowns, sabotage, and occasional revolts. But the most dramatic escape was into the island's interior — the mountains and forests of Mauritius and Réunion. Runaways, called maroons, formed communities that survived for years, raiding plantations for supplies. The French authorities organized armed patrols to hunt them down, with bounties for captured maroons — dead or alive. Lucas: There's one particularly tragic story from 1785. A French slave ship called the Utile ran aground on a sandbank off the coast of Madagascar. The crew and the enslaved survivors made it to a small island — but the captain decided to abandon the 80 enslaved people there, taking only the crew on a makeshift boat to Madagascar. When a rescue ship finally returned months later, only a handful were still alive, having survived on shellfish and rainwater. Luna: Eighty people left to die on a sandbank. That's like the Zong, but in the Indian Ocean. Lucas: Exactly. And like the Zong, there was a legal case — the survivors sued for their freedom when they were eventually rescued. But the French courts ruled they were still property, so they were sold back into slavery. It shows how entrenched the system was, even in cases of extreme cruelty. Lucas: The Indian Ocean slave trade continued long after the British banned the slave trade in 1807. The French abolished it in 1848, but illegal trafficking went on for decades. The sultanates of Zanzibar and Oman were major players, sending captives to the Middle East and Asia. It's a story that's often overshadowed by the Atlantic, but it's just as important to understanding the global scale of human trafficking. Luna: It's sobering to think how vast and varied these networks were. And yet, most of us only learn about one part. Lucas: That's part of why we keep doing these episodes. You know, a quick honest thing — a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many of these. No ads, no sponsors, just people who care about history. If that's something you want to be part of, it helps keep the show going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small community that makes a big difference. And we're grateful for every bit of support. Lucas: So back to the Indian Ocean — the legacy of that trade is still visible today. In Mauritius, Réunion, and even in South Africa, there are communities whose ancestors were brought over as slaves. Their languages, music, and cuisine blend African, European, and Asian influences. It's a reminder that history doesn't end with the last slave ship — it shapes the world we live in now. Luna: That's a powerful way to think about it. Thanks for shedding light on this. Lucas: Always happy to. Until next time.