In June 2024, Yale University formally apologized for its historical ties to slavery, drawing global attention to its namesake, Elihu Yale. Once celebrated as a philanthropist and benefactor of Yale College in Connecticut, Yale is now being reexamined as a colonial administrator deeply involved in the Indian Ocean slave trade during his tenure in Madras (now Chennai), India.
 |
| Ft. St. George,Chennai |
Above image: Elihu Yale arrived at Fort St George, the White colony established by the East India company in Madras (now Chennai), as a young man in 1672 with a clerical job. He rose through the ranks by dint of hard work and got the covetous post governor-president in 1687, which he had held for five years until 1692. He was forced to resign for lack of transparency and diplomacy............
 |
| Yale univ. memorial voiceofindia.me |
 |
| Yale University, New Haven, CTscroll.in |
Above image: Yale university, NJ,USA. ''Founded in 1701, Yale has a complex past that includes direct and indirect ties to slavery. That history cannot be remade. What can be done is to reveal, share, and learn from that history, so we can strengthen our community and advance Yale’s mission of education and research to create a better future''.https://yaleandslavery.yale.edu/
Elihu Yale was born in Boston in 1649 and joined the British East India Company in 1672, rising to become Governor-President of Fort St. George in 1687. Though the Company offered modest salaries, officials like Yale amassed personal fortunes through private trading, often illicitly. Yale's rule, lasting until 1692, was marked by corruption, arbitrary governance, and brutality. He was ultimately dismissed for misusing Company funds and engaging in unauthorized commercial ventures.
Historians now confirm Yale’s direct involvement in the slave trade. While the Atlantic slave trade moved over 12 million Africans over four centuries, the Indian Ocean slave trade—larger in geographical scope—connected Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Yale oversaw the sale, adjudication, and management of enslaved individuals in India, as documented by Yale University historian David Blight in the new book Yale and Slavery: A History.
In 1713, Yale donated goods and £1,162 (equivalent to £206,000 today) to the Collegiate School of Connecticut. The proceeds helped build a new campus building, prompting the school to be renamed in his honor. Despite his wealth and cultural contributions, Yale’s legacy in India includes acts of cruelty, including the hanging of a stable boy, and oppressive tax regimes in Cuddalore.
Although the university has apologized and pledged to promote equity and inclusion, it has ruled out renaming the institution, despite growing calls and scrutiny of Elihu Yale's colonial past. There are some collages that were established or promoted by Slave Owners of Southern US affiliated to Yale. Several years ago this caused discontent among the students and faculty members. Calhoun College, named after former US Vice President John Calhoun and slave trader, was renamed in honor of Grace Murray Hopper, a 1934 alumnus.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68444807
https://voiceofindia.me/2024/03/15/elihu-yale-and-the-indian-ocean-slave-trade-geeta-pandey
