Hosay massacre at San Fernando and St Joseph, Trinidad

Background. Following the emancipation of slaves, Trinidad plantation owners sought new labor sources, leading to the recruitment of Indian laborers from Calcutta starting in 1839. By 1884, industrial unrest on plantations and a deepening depression in the sugar industry created tension. The British colonial authorities issued an ordinance in 1884 to prevent public Hosay commemorations, viewing the gatherings with increasing concern.

Procession and Defiance. Hosay, a Caribbean manifestation of the Shia Muslim Remembrance of Muharram, was observed by Indian indentured laborers using tadjahs, or model mausoleums. Despite the 1884 prohibition, appeals to the Protector of Immigrants were ignored. The tadjahs were taken onto the streets at the appointed time, in order of the estates, defying the ban on public commemorations.

Confrontation. The decision to prohibit Indians from entering towns with their processions was regarded by them as arbitrary and unjust. While police did not interfere in some areas, in Mon Repos, San Fernando, on 30 October 1884, buckshot was fired into crowds of women, children, and men. This event is referred to as the Muhammad Massacre by Indians and the Hosay Riots in colonial records.