Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Indian Trinidadians and Tobagonians are people from Trinidad and Tobago whose ancestors are of Indian origin that came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of British colonial rule and indentureship.
Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are a subgroup of Indo-Caribbean people, which is a subgroup of the wider Indian diaspora. Most Indo-Trinidadians can trace their ancestry back to North India especially the Bhojpur and Awadh regions of the present day Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, two states located in the Gangetic plains of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. However, some Indo-Trinidadians may trace their ancestry to other parts of South Asia, notably South India, such as the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago as indentured laborers from India through the Indian indenture system from 1845 to 1917, and some Indians and other South Asians, along with their families, later came as entrepreneurs, businesspeople, religious leaders, doctors, engineers, and other professional occupations beginning in the mid-20th century. Some Indo-Caribbean people from many other Caribbean nations, such as Guyana, Grenada, Martinique, and Saint Croix, also immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago.
Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are the largest ethnic group in Trinidad and Tobago, identified by the official census, accounting for about 35.43% of the population in 2011.
History
thumb|300px|Early East Indian indentured laborers in Trinidad.
Of 94,135 Indian immigrants to Trinidad, between 1874 and 1917, 50.7 percent were from the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, 24.4 percent came from Oudh State, 13.5 percent were from Bihar Province and lesser numbers from various other parts of the British Raj, such as the Madras Presidency, Bengal Presidency, Central Provinces, Chota Nagpur Division, Bombay Presidency, and Punjab Province. Out of 134,118 indentured labourers from India, 5,000 who left from the Port of Madras distinguished themselves as "Madrasi" and the immigrants who left from the Port of Calcutta distinguished themselves as "Kalakatiyas".
Many were people who were escaping poverty in India and seeking employment offered by the British for jobs either as indentured labourers, workers or educated servicemen, primarily, between 1845 and 1917.
The demand for Indian indentured labourers increased dramatically after the abolition of slavery in 1834. They were sent, sometimes in large numbers, to plantation colonies that produced high-value crops, such as sugar, in Africa and the Caribbean.
Caste
Many indentured labourers taken from British India came from marginalised and lower-caste backgrounds, including a significant number from the Chamar caste. Facing entrenched discrimination, poverty, and limited opportunities in India, they were often drawn by misleading promises of better livelihoods abroad. As a result, they formed an important yet frequently overlooked segment of the indentured workforce in Trinidad and Tobago.
Impact of Girmit System on Caste Dynamics
Although the Girmit system subjected all labourers, regardless of caste, to harsh and exploitative conditions, migration nonetheless offered many Chamars and other oppressed groups an opportunity to escape rigid caste hierarchies. Over time, they established new communities across the globe, reshaping social identities and forging resilience in the diaspora. || colspan="2" | Census 1970|| colspan="2" | Census 2000|| colspan="2" | Census 2011
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Number || % || Number || % || Number || % || Number || % || Number || %
|-
|align=left|Hinduism||99,564||82||94,125||67.88||228,758||61.24||245,459||55.00||232,104||49.54
|-
|align=left|Islam||19,427||16||20,747||14.96||57,105||15.29||57,042||12.78||54,543||11.64
|-
|align=left|Presbyterianism||6,071||5||10,335||7.45||34,844||9.33||31,277||7.00||26,631||5.68
|-
|align=left|Roman Catholicism||4,857||4||8,469||6.11||33,312||8.92||31,823||7.13||30,350||6.48
|-
|align=left|Anglicanism||2,428||2||3,946||2.85||6,192||1.66||3,035||0.68||2,637||0.56
|-
|align=left|Other Christian denominations||-||-||433||0.31||191||0.05||34,491||7.73||58,782||12.55
|-
|align=left|Zoroastrianism||607||0.5||278||0.2||-||-||-||-||-||-
|-
|align=left|Buddhism||364||0.3||119||0.09||-||-||-||-||-||-
|-
|align=left|Sikhism||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||300||0.06
|-
|align=left|Trinidad Orisha||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||1,466||0.31
|-
|align=left|Rastafari||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||97||0.02
|-
|align=left|Other||- ||-||215||0.16||13,136||3.52||35,540||7.96||27,210||5.81
|-
|align=left|Not Stated||-||-||-||-||-||-||3,498||0.78||29,518||6.30
|-
|align=left|None||-||-||-||-||-||-||4,108||0.92||4,887||1.04
|-
|align=left|Total||colspan="2"|121,420||colspan="2"|138,667||colspan="2"|373,538||colspan="2"|446,273||colspan="2"|468,524
|}
According to the most recent census (2011) conducted in Trinidad and Tobago, Hinduism is the religion followed by a plurality of Indo-Trinidadians. The breakdown of religious affiliation for Indo-Trinidadians is as follows
- Methodism – 0.05%
- Rastafari – 0.02%
- Moravian Church – 0.007%
Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago are represented by several sects, organizations and entities the largest of which is the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, a Sanātanī Hindu organization with Ramanandi, Smarta, Shaiva, and Shaktist roots. Other Hindu organizations and sects include SWAHA International, Arya Samaj, Chinmaya Mission, Kabir panth, ISKCON, the Sathya Sai Baba movement, Seunariani (Sieunarini/Siewnaraini/Shiv Narayani), Aughar (Aghor/Owghur), Kali Mai (Madrasi), Murugan (Kaumaram), Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (Radha Madhav), Ganapathi Sachchidananda movement, Divine Life Society, Brahma Kumaris, and Blue Star.
A majority of Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian Muslims are Sunni, however,there are notable Shia and Ahmadiyya minorities. The major Muslim organisation representing Muslims in Trinidad and Tobago is the Anjuman Sunnat-ul-Jamaat Association (ASJA). Other Islamic organizations include the Trinidad Muslim League, Darul Uloom, Ummah T&T, the Muslim Federation, and the Tackveeyatul Islamic Association.
The Sikh community in Trinidad and Tobago, numbering at about 300, consists of the descendants of the few Punjabis who came during the indentureship period, Punjabi Sikhs who came in the twentieth and twenty-first century, and Sindhi Hindus and Punjabi Hindus who also came in the twentieth and twenty-first century and who are, in addition to being Hindu, Nanakpanthis, followers of the Sikh Guru Nanak. The Sikhs have a gurdwara (temple) in Tunapuna dating back to 1929.
Politics
Most Indo-Trinidadians have traditionally given their political support to parties that opposed the People's National Movement (PNM) which has historically been perceived as a Christian Afro-Trinidadian dominated party. Voting patterns among Indo-Trinidadians have also been influenced by religion. At times, non-Presbyterian Christian and Muslim Indo-Trinidadians have shown major support for the PNM due to concerns about the Indo-majority led political parties such as PDP, DLP, and ULF that were felt to be Hindu and Presbyterian Indo-Trinidadian dominated parties. Sometimes fried bake is eaten instead and is made using with flour, baking powder and yeast and is then fried in oil. Usually breakfast is vegetarian, however salt fish is sometimes added. Some breakfast dishes include baigan chokha (roasted and mashed eggplant), damadol chokha (roasted and mashed tomatoes), pepper chokha (roasted and mashed peppers), aloo chokha (boiled, roasted, and mashed potatoes), karaili chokha (roasted and mashed bittermelon), murtani or upar ghar (combination of roasted and mashed eggplant, tomato, pepper, and okra), fried or curried bodi (long beans), fried or curried aloo (potatoes), fried or curried ochro/bhindhi (okra), fried or curried seim (hyacinth beans), fried or curried karaili (bittermelon), pumpkin or kohra tarkari (pumpkin simmered with spices and seasoning), fried or curried saijan (drumstick), fried or curried lauki (bottle gourd), bhaji (made with young dasheen bush (taro) leaves, spinach leaves, saijan (drumstick) leaves, or chaurai (spiny amaranth) leaves), and/or fried plantains.
Street foods
thumb|right|Food stalls in [[Debe]]
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian foods like doubles, aloo pie, pholourie, saheena, baiganee, bara, and kachori are popular street foods throughout the country and are served with various chutneys, achars, and pepper sauce. Doubles is made with two baras (flat fried dough) and curried channa (chickpeas) and is served with toppings, like pepper sauce, kuchela, and tamarind, mango, pommecythere, cucumber, coconut and bandhaniya chutneys. It is one of the most popular breakfast foods eaten on the islands; however, it is eaten at any time throughout the day. Another Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian street food that is popular is roti, which consists of roti (usually paratha or dhalpuri) that wraps curried vegetables, curried channa (chickpeas) and aloo (potatoes), curried chicken, curried shrimp, curried goat, curried duck, curried conchs, or any other spicy fillings. The town of Debe in southern Trinidad is a popular destination for these street foods.
Festival foods
thumb|180px|[[Diwali meal consisting of curry channa and aloo, curried mango, bhaji, karhi, rice and paratha.]]
Traditional Diwali and other Hindu festivals and prayers foods include appetizers such as pholourie, saheena, baiganee, bara, and kachori. Main dishes include roti (most commonly dalpuri and paratha) and karhi and rice served with condiments such as achar or anchar, kuchela, mother-in-law (pickled vegetables), pepper sauce, and dishes such as curried mango, bhaji (dasheen bush or any spinach), pumpkin or kohra tarkari (pumpkin), curry channa and aloo (chickpeas and potatoes), fried or curried baigan (eggplant), fried or curried bodi (long beans), fried or curried seim (hyacinth beans), curry eddoes (arui), curry chataigne or katahar (breadnut), and other tarkaries (vegetarian curries). Desserts include mohan bhog (parsad), lapsi and suhari, burfi, khurma, gulab jamun, pera, rasgulla, batasa, gujiya, gulgula, roat, kheer (sweet rice), laddu, and jalebi. It is traditionally served on a sohari (Calathea lutea) leaf.
Special Eid, Hosay, and other Muslim festival foods include curry goat, curry channa and aloo, sawine, burfi, rasgulla, sirnee, maleeda, and halwa.
Condiments
thumb|[[Kuchela (relish)|Kuchela jars in a supermarket.]]
Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians accompany their meals with various condiments; these can include pepper sauces, chutneys, and pickles and are often homemade.
Pepper sauces are made by using scotch bonnet or other hot peppers, either minced or chopped, and added to vinegar or lime or lemon juice and sometimes pickled together with carrots, sour cherries, bitter melon, or daikon (murai). Mother-in-law is another popular condiment, which is a coarsely chopped spicy medley of peppers, pimentos, carrots, bitter melon, and other spices.
Chutneys are popular as well and often include mango, tamarind, cucumber, pommecythère, bandhaniya, dhaniya, chalta, and coconut. They are most commonly eaten with doubles, aloo pie, saheena, baiganee, kachori, and pholourie. There are a variety of popular pickles known locally as achar or anchar which are commonly used. Kuchela a grated spicy version, usually made from mango but sometimes made from pommecythère, the mango version being most popular. Other version of achars are made from mango, pommecythère, tamarind, amla, lemon, lime, chayote, chalta, and green apple.
Sweets and desserts
Indian sweets and dessers are commonplace in Trinidad and Tobago and are distributed especially at Indian weddings and religious events. They include kheer (sweet rice or meetha bhat), sawine, khurma, gulab jamoon, burfi, roat, laddu, jalebi, halwa, mohan bhog (parsad), sirnee, lapsi and suhari, rasgula, tilly cake, gulgula, paynuse, pera, modak, gujiya, and batasa.
Dance
Indian dance forms are prevalent among Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians. Kathak, Odissi, and Bharatanatyam are the most popular Indian classical dance forms in Trinidad and Tobago. Indian folk dances, such as launda ke naach, Bollywood dancing, and chutney dancing are also popular Indian dance forms. Ramleela, the drama about the life of the Hindu deity Rama, is largely popular throughout the country during the time between Sharad Navaratri and Vijayadashami leading up to Diwali, with almost each locale having their own celebration. The Ramlila celebrations end with the burning of an effigy of Ravana, the main antagonist of the ancient Ramayana and its 16th century vernacular variation, popular among Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago, the Ramcharitmanas. Rasleela (Krishnaleela), the drama about the life of the Hindu deity Krishna, is popular around the time of Krishna Janmashtami.
Influence on Trinidad and Tobago
The Indian–South Asian influence is very much noticeable in Trinidad and Tobago as they are the largest ethnic groups in the country. Mandirs, masijids, jhandis (Hindu prayer flags), Hindu schools, Muslim schools, roti shops and stalls, puja stores, Indian groceries/markets, and Indian clothing stores and expos dot the landscape of the country. Many businesses also bear names of Indian-South Asian origin. Many towns, settlements, villages, avenues, traces, and streets in Trinidad and Tobago are named after Indian cities and people, such as Calcutta Settlement, Madras Settlement, Delhi Settlement, Jai Ramkissoon Housing Settlement, Boodoosingh Village, Raghoo Village, Jaraysingh, Hasnalli, Hindustan Village, Patna Village, Gandhi Village, Kandahar Village, Cawnpore (Kanpur) Village, Nepal Village, Pahari Village, Abdul Village, Samaroo Village, Basta Hall, Gopaul Lands, Sumadh Gardens, Mohammed Ville, Gobin Village, Nancoo Village, Coromandel, Malabar, Matura (Mathura), Bangladesh, Morang Village, Chandanagore (Chandinagar), Sadhoowa, Divali Nagar, Golconda, Barrackpore, and Fyzabad.
The holidays of Diwali, Eid al-Fitr, and Indian Arrival Day are national public holidays in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidadian Hindustani and other South Asian languages has had a great influence on the Trinidadian English lingua franca. Most people of South Asian descent in Trinidad and Tobago also speak a unique Hinglish macaronic dialect of Trinidadian English and Trinidadian Hindustani and they incorporate more Hindustani vocabulary into their Trinidadian English dialect than other ethnic groups in the country. Trinidad Hindustani itself is a dying language in Trinidad; as auf 2003, there were only about 1,600 native speakers; another 14,000 spoke it as a second language.
Notable persons
See also
- Anglo-Indians
- Awadhi people
- Bengalis
- Bhojpuri people
- Chindians
- Chutney music
- Chutney parang
- Chutney soca
- Dougla people
- History of Trinidad and Tobago
- India–Trinidad and Tobago relations
- Indian Arrival Day
- Indian indenture system
- Indo-Caribbean
- Indo-Caribbean music
- Indo-Guyanese
- Indo-Surinamese
- Pashtuns
- Pichakaree
- Soca music
- Tamil people
- Telugu people