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As part of the History Hour programme, historian and former professor of history, University of Mauritius Vijayalakshmi Teelock will deliver a lecture on ‘From Goa to Mauritius: French and Portuguese trade and commerce in the 18th-century Indian Ocean’ on March 12, 6 p.m. at the Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Porvorim. The lecture which will be moderated by historian and former professor of history, Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Quepem Sushila Sawant Mendes, presents the early findings of a research project examining the historical connections between Goa and Mauritius during the 18th century, with particular attention to the role of Goan intermediaries employed by French merchants and officials. The research begins with an analysis of private correspondence exchanged between Goans and French merchants, drawing primarily on the extensive archival collections held at the Xavier Centre of Historical Research.
The study seeks to understand how a relatively small island such as Mauritius developed extensive commercial networks across the Indian Ocean during the 18th century. As an initial point of entry into this broader question, the research focuses on the Afro-Malagasy slave trade to Mauritius. Unlike the Atlantic system, Indian Ocean slave trading networks were closely intertwined with the circulation of a wide range of commodities, including enslaved peoples.
Teelock is currently undertaking independent research on the history of Mauritius and is a visiting scholar at the Xavier Centre of Historical Research.
