INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

TRADITIONAL AND
But I do not think that we are justified in concluding
that these are to be attributed to bad
policy, as it is possible to infer. However, the
action of the officials in this matter is open to
severe criticism. In Moorshedabad-a district of
which it was reported in July that .. the scene
of misery that intervened, and still continues,
shocks humanity too much to bear description;
certain it is that in several parts the living
have fed on the dead," &c.-the amount of revenue
collections made, countenances the idea
that the interests of the Sircar were at all events
not forgotten. It is useless to follow up the
harrowing details: it will be sufficient to say
that the famine lasted till the harvest in December
1770, and that the dire result of this
curse of nature was the death of 30,000,000 of
human beings! As not unfrequently happens,
floods were in some districts experienced during
the ensuing rains, and subsequent crops were
very good-in fact, there was afterwards a glut
of grain in the market.
The next great famine occurred in 1783, but
it was principally in Upper India that the
severest strain was felt. Northern Hindustan