History — Key Moments and Movements
Explore Fiji’s defining milestones — from the arrival of the first indentured labourers to independence, coups, reforms, and democratic renewal.
Before cession in 1874, Fiji was briefly the Kingdom of Fiji (1871–1874) under Ratu Seru Cakobau.
The indenture system that brought Indian labourers to Fiji and forged a new Indo-Fijian identity.
From contract labourers to farmers and merchants — the beginnings of Fiji’s Indo-Fijian society.
The Indo-Fijian strikes for equality; the resistance by the Indo-Fijians.
The Indo-Fijian resistance continues
Kisan Sangh and Maha Sangh link labour rights with politics and community leadership.
In 1963, Fiji crossed a historic threshold: for the first time, all adults could vote in Legislative Council elections.
In July 1965, Fiji’s leaders gathered in London to debate the colony’s constitutional future.
Fiji’s leaders and Britain faced a fundamental question: could a divided colony become a united state?
Fiji becomes a sovereign nation balancing identity, equality, and unity under a shared constitution.
Two coups overthrow democracy, sparking Indo-Fijian migration and reshaping national politics.
A racially weighted charter entrenches division and reduces Indo-Fijian representation.
Cross-party cooperation delivers a more inclusive constitution and renewed civic hope.
Parliament is seized; democracy collapses again, testing Fiji’s resilience and rule of law.
The military takeover ushers in a centralised state and a new constitutional order.
The first vote under the 2013 constitution legitimises Fiji’s new political landscape.
A hung parliament leads to Fiji’s first democratic change of government in 16 years.
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“From Girmit to the ballot box, each generation carried Fiji’s Indo-Fijian story forward with courage, learning and resolve.”