Since pre-historic times, these islands have been the home of aboriginal tribes. But the first settlement by the British took place in 1789, which was later abandoned in 1796. The second settlement was basically a penal settlement, taken up in 1858, the year after the First War of Indian Independence, followed by the settlement of convicts, some criminal tribes from Central and United Provinces, refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well as ex-servicemen |
