After more than a century of propagation, Indian-dominated nations now exceed four, with countless others having significant Indian populations.
Even though India faces a trade deficit year after year, it manages to maintain a balance of payments, largely due to the contributions of overseas Indians.
It can be said that Indians are spreading globally at a visible rate, and their ability to expand overseas may surpass that of other Asian ethnicities by far.
So, what are the Indian-dominated nations, and what are the reasons behind this phenomenon?
Overseas Indian communities are widespread—most were taken by the British
The origins of overseas Indians are not complex; they consist of two groups of people. One group was taken by the British during the colonial period, and the other group migrated independently after independence. However, they share a common characteristic: the majority are manual laborers.
Today, the spread of Indians overseas owes much to the British.
It can be said that if the British hadn't established their colonial hegemony spanning continents, Indians wouldn't have had the opportunity to expand their ethnic influence in foreign lands.
Why is this so?
Back in the 19th century, many of Britain's overseas colonies were sparsely populated and inhospitable places where the British themselves were reluctant to settle. However, to exploit local resources, they needed labor from other colonies, such as India.
The British East India Company began invading India in the 18th century, and by the time direct colonial rule was established in 1858, the empire's territory had gained over a hundred million inhabitants.
These people were hardworking and could work for mere sustenance, providing a ready supply of cheap labor. Thus, they were transported in large numbers to the colonies by the British.
One of their destinations was Mauritius, an island nation in the southwest Indian Ocean.
In the 19th century, after the British colonized Mauritius, they brought in over 500,000 laborers from British India to establish plantations. Later, more than 9,000 Indian troops were stationed there.
Their arrival directly altered the demographics, turning the local Creole population into a "rare breed."
By the time Mauritius declared independence in 1968, Indians already dominated the island. Today, Mauritius is geographically an African country but demographically an Asian one.
Among its population of 1.26 million, over 800,000 are of Indian descent, accounting for over 70%.
Apart from Mauritius, there are also three Asian-dominated countries in distant South America: Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Let's start with Guyana.
Historically, this country had three consecutive Indian-descended presidents following the inauguration of its first Chinese-descended president.
The reason behind this can be traced back to Guyana's period of British colonial rule.
Before the opening of the new routes, Guyana was once part of the Inca civilization's territory, later destroyed by the Spanish and eventually falling into British hands. When the British colonized the area, the local indigenous population was virtually extinct.
To develop this land, the British recruited around 239,000 laborers from India.
By the time Guyana gained independence in the 1960s, the Indian-descended population had accounted for over 30% of the country's total population, making them the largest ethnic group.
To the north of Guyana, in the southern Caribbean Sea, lies another country dominated by Indians: Trinidad and Tobago.
This island nation is rich in mineral resources. After the British arrived in the late 19th century, they also brought in a considerable number of Indian laborers.
Today, the Indian-descended population accounts for about 40% of the total population of Trinidad and Tobago, dominating various aspects of the country.
A similar story unfolded in Suriname, Guyana's neighbor.
The difference is that instead of the British, it was the Dutch who played a role. From the 1870s to the 1930s, Dutch colonizers introduced a group of contract laborers.
These laborers came from the northern states of India, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, to engage in agricultural activities such as tobacco, sugarcane, and rice cultivation in Suriname.
By the time Suriname declared independence in 1975, the proportion of Indian-descended people had reached one-third. Today, with a total population of 600,000, the Indian-descended population numbers 200,000, making it the largest ethnic group.
Labor export—The modern history of India's overseas expansion
It can be seen that the earliest overseas Indians were brought to various parts of the world by the British as laborers, servants, and guards.
Similar situations occurred for Indians living in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Pacific island nation of Fiji today.
Their ancestors were almost all employed by the British, remnants of colonial rule, representing a form of involuntary migration.
However, after the end of British colonial rule, new countries continued to be filled with a steady stream of Indians. Why is this?
After India's independence, due to issues like population growth and backward manufacturing, there was a lack of job opportunities in the country to absorb the working-age population.
Indian youth saw no prospects at home and had to seek opportunities abroad.
At the same time, in another part of Asia, the Middle Eastern countries discovered abundant oil reserves, leading to exponential growth in foreign exchange earnings, making them suddenly wealthy.
However, these countries had few people and lots of money. Moreover, as the locals became affluent, they were generally unwilling to engage in manual labor, leading to labor shortages.
On one hand, there was surplus labor, and on the other hand, there was a shortage of labor, so both sides reached an agreement, leading to labor export.
A large number of unemployed Indian youths migrated to the Middle East as labor exports, gradually becoming the largest ethnic group in those countries.
For example, in Qatar, with a population of 2.97 million, less than 15% are citizens, and the rest are foreign workers.
Among them, Indian workers number 660,000, accounting for 20% of the total population, making them the largest ethnic group.
Next door in the UAE, the situation is even more severe. With a total population of 9.63 million, only 12% are citizens, and the rest are either Pakistani or Indian laborers.
Among them, Indian laborers are the largest group, totaling 3.2 million. Looking further north, in Kuwait, Indian laborers account for over 20% of the total population.
The difference is that Indians don't outnumber the citizens in these Middle Eastern countries; they're merely the second-largest ethnic group. Besides the Middle East, even Japan in East Asia is planning to recruit Indian laborers.
Considering the country's serious demographic decline, Japan in the future may have as many Indians on its streets as some Middle Eastern countries.
Currently, India's population expansion continues. India has developed into the world's largest exporter of labor, and the remittances sent by these workers to their homeland each year amount to a huge foreign exchange income.
At the same time, India is a country with a significant trade deficit. In 2021, India's trade deficit reached a historic high.
Fortunately, in the same year, India's remittances from foreign labor were also substantial. With these figures balancing each other out, India managed to achieve a balance of payments.
This is why, despite India's trade deficit year after year, its economy is not necessarily in decline butinstead ranks as the world's fifth-largest economy.
One could say that remittances from foreign labor serve as a "counterweight," balancing the trade deficit.
Unfortunately, while laborers make significant contributions to their homeland's economic development, their own treatment is not always favorable.
It's well-known that Middle Eastern countries face criticism from Western media every year for human rights issues concerning Indian laborers.
For instance, before the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Western media reported that over 400 Indian and Pakistani laborers died in construction projects.
Yet, despite such issues, countless Indians still flock to the Middle East, willing to endure harsh conditions.
The reason is simple: job opportunities are scarce at home, while wages abroad are high. So, what about the salary and treatment of foreign laborers in the Middle East?
In 2020, in response to the World Cup, the Qatari government implemented a wage policy requiring employers to pay foreign workers a minimum of 750 riyals per month.
750 riyals is approximately equivalent to 2,000 RMB. This may not seem like much, but during the same period, the average wage in India was about 1,300 RMB per month.
And only major cities like New Delhi and Mumbai would honestly adhere to the standard wage.
In summary, compared to their treatment in India, Middle Eastern employers are like gods. Naturally, Indians are willing to stay there.
Besides this livelihood-driven labor export, India's population migration is also related to the expansion strategies of the Indian government.
For example, India once forced neighboring Nepal to sign unequal treaties, requiring the country to open its borders to Indian citizens and allow free immigration. The aim was to dominate and assimilate Nepal using India's demographic advantage.
Today, the Indian-descended population in Nepal has reached 8.8 million, accounting for 30%, becoming the country's second-largest ethnic group.
The footprints of Indians now span the globe.
Even former colonial master Britain now has an Indian-origin prime minister in office.
With the world's largest population and a high natural growth rate, the number of nations dominated by Indians internationally will continue to increase.
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