The impact of the First World War on the Indian commercial class in Natal.

Origins of the Indian Traders The Indian trading class migrated to Natal from the 1870s onwards. They came mainly from the West Coast of India, an area renowned for its commercial importance. They were referred to as “passenger” Indians since they paid their own fare to Natal. Except for a small percentage who was Hindus, the majority were Muslims (then referred to as “Arabs by the colonial settlers) who spoke either Gujarati or Urdu, the former predominating. They were men with initiative, enterprise, trade expertise and in, a few cases, capital. They established family orientated businesses recruiting the assistance of family and friends to expand their commercial enterprises and became a formidable factor in the economy of Natal. It is generally accepted that Aboobaker Amod, a Muslim, trader from Porbander, India, was the first merchant to settle in Durban in the early 1870s. The arrival of this class of Indian was mainly prompted by the presence of an indentured population working on the plantations, mines and railways. The early traders, had by the turn of the century, monopolised the Indian trade and many also catered for the White market. However, at the same time their adaptability and versatility soon marked them as businessmen with initiative when they discovered Africa’s greatest potential – the lucrative trade with the African labouring and peasant class. Increasingly, Africans came to settle in urban areas, on mission stations, mines and farms. Gradually, Indian