coolie

250px|thumb|Indian labourers in British Trinidad and Tobago; around 1890s

Coolie () is a term historically used for low-wage labourers, typically those of Indian or Chinese descent. The term was first used in the 16th century by European traders across Asia. In the 18th century, it more commonly referred to migrant Indian indentured labourers. In the 19th century, during the British colonial era, the term was adopted for the transportation and employment of Asian labourers via employment contracts on sugar plantations formerly worked by African slaves.