INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

HISTORIOAL FAMINES. 27
for some time; both its physical and moral
wants were supplied: but in 1768 a warning
note of alarm arose in Behar-first a destructive
flood, and afterwards an all but total cessation
of the rains from August. In 1769, the rains
may be said to have been a total failure throughout,
so that the whole of Bengal proper, except
the south - east corner and Behar, were laid
waste. Orissa at that time was not British
territory. Sir G. Campbell remarks that his
inquiry furnished him with no information in
regard to its condition. Want was felt in
Madras at the same time, and therefore the
possibility suggests itself that the famine of
1770 had a much greater range than has
generally been attributed to it, the probability
being that Orissa also suffered severely. Food
supplies were obtained from Oudh, and were
also obtainable in, but were withheld from,
Benares and Allahabad, these places being under
native rule at the time. The fact that food was
procurable in those districts, of course, proves
that the famine did not prevail there-i. e.,
that our so-called North-Western Province did
not suffer.