INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

2-1 TRADITIONAL AND
reputation in the early part of his reign, otherwise
totally devoid of humanity, as may be inferred
from Mill's sarcastic remark already quoted.
I now pass to the memorable famine of1769-
70, which concerns us in a very different degree
from that of any other of previous date. In
1765, the East India Company obtained the
fiscal administration of Bengal, and among
their first state troubles they found themselves
involved in this great famine. To any
one who has read up the subject of Indian
famines, this one must stand out in such clear
and well-defined colours, as almost to persuade
him that any repetition of the account of it
would be superfluous; but I can too distinctly
recall my first, or at all events my first lasting
impression of it,· gained from reading Dr
Hunter's first volume of 'Annals of Rural
Bengal,' not to imagine that there are still
many who are in as great ignorance of this
famine now as I was then.
It is not, however, to be understood, because
I have said that this stands out in such bold
relief, that we have that detailed account of all
eonnected with it that is desirable. On the