On 16 November 1860 the Truro brought the first indentured Indians to Durban to work on Natal's sugar estates; traders, mostly from Gujarat, followed. It was in South Africa that the young lawyer Mohandas Gandhi developed satyagraha, and Durban is today one of the largest centres of Indian population outside Asia.
History
- 1860The Truro arrives in Durban (16 November).
- 1893–1914Gandhi in South Africa; the Natal Indian Congress (1894) and the first satyagraha campaigns.
- 1948–1994Apartheid classifies Indians as a separate group; many Indians join the struggle against it.
- 2010The 150th anniversary of Indian arrival is marked.
Hindu life today
Hindus of Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Gujarati heritage keep their traditions; Kavadi for Murugan, Diwali and Ramnavmi are widely observed, and Durban's temples include the Hare Krishna Temple of Understanding at Chatsworth.
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Frequently asked questions
When did Indians arrive in South Africa?
The first indentured Indians arrived at Durban aboard the Truro on 16 November 1860.
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Read nextEast Africa — Hindus of Kenya, Uganda and TanzaniaSources & copyright status
- Statistics South Africa, census — census data
- M. K. Gandhi, Satyagraha in South Africa (1928) — public domain
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright.
- Commentary and translations on this page: original to The Hindu Book. © The Hindu Book, all rights reserved.
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