History Isle de France, which consisted of Mauritius and some other islands had been under French rule since 1715. However, during the Napoleonic Wars, despite the French naval victory in the Battle of Grand Port on 20–27 August 1810, Mauritius was captured on 3 December 1810 by the British under Commodore Josias Rowley. British possession of the island was confirmed four years later by the Treaty of Paris . Nonetheless, French institutions, including the Napoleonic Code of law, were maintained, and the French language was still more widely used than English. The British administration, with Robert Townsend Farquhar as the first governor, brought about rapid social and economic changes. One of the most important was the abolition of slavery on 1 February 1835. The planters received a compensation of two million pounds sterling for the loss of their slaves, who had been imported from Africa and Madagascar during the French occupation.
History Isle de France, which consisted of Mauritius and some other islands had been under French rule since 1715. However, during the Napoleonic Wars, despite the French naval victory in the Battle of Grand Port on 20–27 August 1810, Mauritius was captured on 3 December 1810 by the British under Commodore Josias Rowley. British possession of the island was confirmed four years later by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. Nonetheless, French institutions, including the Napoleonic Code of law, were maintained, and the French language was still more widely used than English. The British administration, with Robert Townsend Farquhar as the first governor, brought about rapid social and economic changes. One of the most important was the abolition of slavery on 1 February 1835. Around 3,000 Franco-Mauritian planters received their share of the British government's compensation of 20 million pounds sterling (£20m) for the liberation of about 20,000 slaves, who had been imported from Africa and Madagascar during the French occupation.
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in 1814.
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The planters received a compensation of two
Around 3,000 Franco-Mauritian planters received their share of the British government's compensation of 20
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for the loss of their
(£20m) for the liberation of about 20,000