Mauritius has a great record of known history. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to have visited the island around 1510. The Dutch settled here in 1598 and named it Mauritius after Maurice the prince of Nasau. They introduced Java deer and sugarcane to this island but left later in 1710 and moved to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
In 1715, the French occupied Mauritius renaming it “Isle de France”. It was led by the French governor Mahé de Labourdonnais. Under his reign, the harbor of Port Louis was built and it later became the island’s capital city. It was named after the then ruling King Louis XV. Trade flourished and Mauritius started supplying enough rum and sugar to the neighboring islands and visiting vessels.
In 1810, the British conquered Mauritius which they occupied. The battle of Grand Port forms an important part of Mauritius history. On 21st August 1820, a bloody battle took place between the two troops. At 17h30 on 23 August 1810, the Captain of ‘Minerve-Bouvet’ opened fire on the British fleet. Thomy Pitot one of the witnesses, narrated that the British advanced without responding. Nereid was leading the fleet. He added that the silence of the British coupled by their continued approach towards the bay was frightening. The British Magicienne and Sirius hit a coral reef which immobilized them. Iphigenia dropped its anchor to avoid a similar fate. The French had displaced buoys marking the way through the coral reefs to trap the British vessels. A while after the belligerents opened fire, Wantzloeben who was on board Bellone wrote that the battle was terrifying. Within a short period of time, cannons roared continuously from both sides. Both divisions were covered in a thick cloud of smoke.
Additionally, the darkness covering this bloody carnage offered his compatriots the most horrible scene. The night was already approaching. At eight in the night, guns shots were still high and releasing missiles with destructive furors. This is according to a narration by Officer Charles Cunat. He was on board Minerve. He also said that guns were violently releasing bullets and the terrifying blasts revealed bloody scenes. The British stopped firing at the French at 23 hours. Nereid was shattered while the vessels ‘Magicienne’ and ‘Sirius’ were still grounded. In the morning of 24 August 1810, the scene was scary. Dead bodies and debris were floating on the sea which had turned red by blood. The French victory was almost at hand, but the British fighter did not surrender. They continuously renewed the battle which lasted till one o’clock on 26 August in the same year. The British agreed to the French’s proposals to surrender. This was on 28 August 1810. They had already lost their fleet and suffered heavy casualties.
The battle of Grand Port did not terminate the British’s mission to conquer the island. They attacked the island again on 29 November 1810, this time to launch their winning invasion. They were led by General Sir John Abercrombie with 60 ships and over 10000 troops. The French Army with only 2000 soldiers could not fight back their enemies. The French General Decaen decided to surrender on 3 December 1810. Since then, the history of Mauritius was under the British colors.
Mauritius attained independence on 12 March 1968. They adopted a constitution based on the Britain’s parliamentary system. Mauritius achieved political and economic stability after 15 years of post-independence. Mauritius changed its status to a Republic on 12 March 1992. Mauritius portrays a great diversity of religions. Hinduism is the religion of about half of the population in the country. According to the 2011 census, they represent 48.54% of the population. Christianity follows at 31.70%. Islam is 17.30% while Buddhism is only
0.43% in terms of adherents. Taoism, Bahai, and Confucianism faith are also practiced by a minute population. Only 43 Jews were in Mauritius in 2011. All the religions live in harmony all through with no cases of inter-religion conflicts. The religions together formed the Council of Religions of Mauritius (COR) to bring them together and foster peace in the country.
The Mauritius history is the building block for its success today. Mauritius is thriving at a rapid pace and the business in this country is attractive. This is all due to the high number of tourists flocking the country. Mauritius has unique tourist attractions including the many beaches around the island. They are beautiful with tourist coming from all over the world visiting this country. Some refer to it as a melting pot of beaches and culture. It has a mix of African, European and Indian cultures. Some of the best places to visit on your holiday in Mauritius include Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius which is known for its paved roads, colonial buildings, temples, mosques, and pagodas. Grand Bay in northern Mauritius is known for its sandy beaches and calm lagoons. Tamarin Beach found in the western shoreline is ideal for body boarding and surfing. You can give business a trial in this country and you shall never regret. Opportunities range from real estate, hotels and accommodation, tours and travel and many others.
