India was once known as the land of prosperity. The vast stretches of fertile lands in the country ensured that the people always had sufficient food for a healthy living. Although famines were not completely non-existent prior to British rule, they were less frequent and less deadly than during the 200 years of oppressive colonial rule in the country. As Mike Davis, the writer of Late Victorian Holocausts points out, 31 deadly famines gripped India during the years of British rule while only 17 serious famines were experienced in India in the 2,000 years before the British rule. The economic policies of the British that were meant to earn the maximum profits by exploiting India’s wealth worsened the impact of the famines that were initially triggered by bad weather. For example, the East India Company also killed the thriving textile industry of India that pushed the Indians into farming activities. Thus, the economy now became more susceptible to the changes in monsoon patterns.
In this article we take a look at some of the worst famines that struck India during the British rule in the country:
1. The Great Bengal Famine Of 1770
One of the worst famines during the British colonial rule in India was the Great Bengal Famine of 1770. The famine lasted from 1769 to 1773. The Bihar and Bengal region were worst affected during this time. 10 million Indians lost their lives in the famine. According to a report, nearly one-third of the population of the affected regions died due to starvation. The policies of the British East Company are often blamed for the famine. Amartya Sen, a Nobel prize winner economist, states that the Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was a ‘man-made famine.’ A failed monsoon and loss of two rice crops triggered the famine. However, it was made worse by the exploitative taxation policies of the British.
2. The Chalisa Famine Of 1783
Chalisa refers to the calendar year 1840 as per the Vikram Samvat calendar. It corresponds to 1783 in the Gregorian calendar. On that year, a massive famine struck over large parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have been triggered by unusual El Niño events that resulted in severe droughts and thus crop failures. North Indian kingdoms were worst affected. Hundreds of villages went dead as the people died due to starvation. Although this famine affected mainly the northern parts of India, a famine in the previous year had affected South India that were under the rule of the British East India Company as well as some other parts. The two famines together wiped out nearly 11 million people.
3. The Doji Bara Famine (Skull famine) Of 1791
A famine raged across the Indian subcontinent from 1791 to 1792 and resulted in prolonged droughts in the region. For four consecutive years, crop failure was recorded in the region due to the failure of the South Asian monsoon. The famine affected large parts of southern and western India. Millions of lives were lost during this time. The situation was so severe that at one time, bones of the victims of the famine lay on the streets, whitening the roads. Thus, the famine was also named the Skull Famine.
4. The Agra famine Of 1837 To 1838
The British East India Company ruled North-Western provinces experienced a major famine in 1837. An area of 65,000 square km that housed about 8 million people were affected by this famine. More than 800,000 people also lost their lives during this time either due to starvation or due to the epidemics that resulted as an aftermath of the famine. A number of factors were held responsible for the Agra famine. Economic depression by the British was one of the important factors. Ecological changes in the region and the El Niño events also contributed to the famine.
5. The Doab Famine Of 1860 To 1861
This famine that claimed the lives of over 2 million people affected the North-Western Provinces of British India. The region included the Ganga-Yamuna Doab.
6. The Orissa Famine Of 1866
This famine struck the east coast of India and affected a population of 47,500,000 people living across 180,000 miles along the coast. Orissa, however, suffered the greatest from the famine. One-third of the region’s population was lost due to the famine. A severe drought preceded the famine but incorrect measures adopted to check the famine also contributed to its severity.
7. The Rajputana Famine Of 1869
The princely states of Rajputana and some other areas suffered from a severe famine in 1869. The famine affected an area of 770,000 square km that houses a population of 44,500,000. Thousands died of starvation during the famine and many fled their homes in search of safety. Epidemics of cholera and malaria killed thousands of others.
8. The Bihar Famine Of 1873 To 1874
The Bihar Famine was triggered by a drought and affected Bihar and its neighboring provinces. The famine wreaked havoc across an area of 140,000 square km. 21.5 million people suffered from the disease. However, efficient famine relief organized by the newly appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, Sir Richard Temple, helped in saving the people from death.
9. The Great Famine Of 1876 To 1878
As the name suggests, this was one of the deadliest famines to affect Indians during British rule in the country. An intense drought led to crop failure in the Deccan Plateau. Although the famine was initially limited to southern and south-western India, in its second year, the famine spread to some parts of central and northern India. 5.5 million people died during this famine. The economic policies introduced by the British further worsened the situation. With large quantities of grains exported out of India, millions in the country died of hunger.
10. The Indian Famine Of 1896 To 1897
This famine started in Bundelkhand, India in 1896. Soon, it spread far and wide to other parts of the country. The famine lasted for two years but within that time it affected an area of 800,000 square km hosting 69.5 million. One million people lost their lives due to starvation and accompanying epidemics.
11. The Indian famine Of 1899 To 1900
This famine was triggered by the failure of the summer monsoons in 1899. The central and western parts of India were the worst affected regions. Millions of Indians and a greater number of animals lost their lives in this disaster.
12. The Bengal Famine Of 1943
Another major famine devastated Bengal in 1943. It happened during World War II. The famine killed nearly 2.1 to 3 million people who died due to starvation, malaria, malnutrition disorders, and other diseases. Millions were also impoverished. According to historians, the Bengal Famine was man-made as colonial policies created a situation that increased the severity of the famine.
For more information on this topic, visit here:
https://yourstory.com/2017/08/british-raj-famines/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36339524
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