|
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Quest Origin of Eurasians Origin of "Shepherdson" |
Origin of the Eurasians
The Coming
of the Portuguese Intermarriages soon took place between the Portuguese and the local
people for various reasons. It was therefore the Portuguese who pioneered
the creation of a new race which was a fusion of local sociocultural values
intermingled with Christian ideals. The blending of east west culture
was thus introduced. The result was a large community of half breeds with
various shades of pigmentation and fair complexions being created. This
was especially evident in Malacca, a strategic port which the Portuguese
conquered in 1511.
The Coming
of the Dutch It wasn't until the Spanish Wars (1710) that religious persecution ended
with the Dutch alliance with Catholic nations. As a result, the Eurasian
community was able to survive and live peacefully.
The British
Impact on Eurasians The Portuguese language was thus distorted considerably. Until British
rule, many Eurasians in the Malay Peninsula were poor and uneducated.
There was initially a lack of social contact in European-Eurasian relations.
The Eurasians in India spoke with an accent known as chee chee
which was repulsive to English ears. Nevertheless, a significant proportion
of Eurasians later worked as clerks and subordinates in the colonial administration.
These were the elite group that received English education and subsequently
learned the English language.
Until the first decade of the twentieth century, most Englishmen who
worked in the east were paid lowly. As a result, most of them avoided
or postponed their marriages because of the living conditions in the east.
Since some of them belonged to middle class families in their homeland,
they had to maintain their status by marrying European wives. Most could
not afford to bring them over to the east and maintain the same standard
of living.
The working class of British, however, married the locals. A well known
Englishman stated in 1897 that there were numerous cases of Europeans
who married women "born and brought up in the east". In 1914, the British
government granted higher salaries to make family life and a wife more
affordable and to discourage Englishmen from taking Asian mistresses.
Had it not been for the economic opportunities provided by the British,
the Eurasian community would have stagnated in progress and remained an
ignorant lot of people. A new breed of Eurasians were created as a result
of the British domination in the Malay Peninsula - a people born with
British blood in them.
The part of the Eurasian community that was once an isolated, uneducated
and persecuted group of people, has emerged from the depths of poverty
to earn a respectable place in society. As can be seen, most Eurasians
of today clearly have their origins from Portuguese, Dutch and British
blood. |
|||
| introduction | search for roots | the family connection | other shepherdsons online |
|
|
