Indians in Malaya : some aspects of their immigration and settlement (1786-1957).

This book discusses the Indians who lived in Malaya and the effects of their presence on Malayan social and economic development be tween 1786 and 1957, the period of British rule. The population of Malaya in 1957 was almost 8 million; nearly a million of these people were Indians one of the largest settlements of Indians overseas.

Professor Sandhu examines in detail the character and flow of Indian immigration during its main fluctuating periods; a period of growth from about the 1790s to the 1930s, when the small number of traders, merchants and priests were joined by large numbers of illiterate labourers; and a period of decline from the 1930s to 1957 when the community and flow of immigrants reverted to shopkeepers, tradesmen and civil servants.

The social and economic causes of the immi gration are studied and Professor Sandhu shows that the movement of Indian immigrants resulted in changes in the population structure and the cultural landscape of Malaya.

The book is based on a wide variety of sources, including the official and private records of the Indian, Malayan and British governments, and of individuals and organizations. It is the first full length study of Indian arrival and settlement in Malaya.