Question

define indentured labour

Answer 1

Indentured labour was a system of bonded labourthat was instituted following the abolition of slavery.Indentured labour were recruited to work on sugar, cotton and tea plantations, and rail construction projects in British colonies in West Indies, Africa and South East Asia.

Answer 2

The indentured workers (known derogatively as ‘coolies’) were recruited from India, China and from the Pacific and signed a contract in their own countries to work abroad for a period of 5 years or more. They were meant to receive wages, a small amount of land and in some cases, promise of a return passage once their contract was over. In reality, this seldom happened, and the conditions were harsh and their wages low.