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by Sankaran Ramanathan (Author)
In the late 19th century, Brahmins in India rarely ventured out of their comfort zones in their tightly-knit village communities to cross the seas and court excommunication when they returned. What then prompted some 130 young pioneers to leave their village sanctuaries, cross the vast stretch of the Indian Ocean on a hazardous week-long journey to seek an uncertain future in British Malaya? How did they cope with a challenging environment characterized by an unfriendly equatorial climate, deadly tropical diseases, and an unknown foreign language? How did they live through two world wars, two periods of emergency and the Singapore separation? What was the legacy they left behind, and how has this been perpetuated by their descendants? A Malaysian of Brahmin descent, the author addresses these questions based on research spanning five years and incorporating his own perspectives. Utilizing secondary sources and anecdotal accounts of pioneer Brahmins, he has compiled a social history revealing that an adventurous spirit and promise of more equal and rewarding opportunities propelled pioneers to plunge into the unknown. This pioneering spirit made succeeding generations of Brahmins successful and distinguished in their respective places of domicile.
