Mauritian history began with the island's discovery by the Portuguese in the 16th century, but it was the Dutch who first settled there in 1638. After abandoning the island, it was later claimed by the French in the 18th century, who developed sugar plantations and brought enslaved Africans and indentured laborers from India to work. In 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British took control of Mauritius. The island became a British colony and continued to rely on sugar production. Mauritius gained independence in 1968 and became a republic in 1992, evolving into a stable democracy with a diverse population.