INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

4S
RECENT FAMINES.
way. But I shall defer noticing this feature
until we arrive at the famine of 1868-70 in its
chronological order.
As before remarked, the great famine of 1770
had one characteristic which peculiarly affected
the British in India-viz., that it was the first
famine which had occurred under our administration;
and consequently, in a sketch of past
famines, we should look at it from a critical
point of view, and compare its results with
those of previous dates managed by our predecessors.
But the famine of 1770 followed too
closely upon our assumption of power to be
regarded in too critical a light, whereby we
might contrast the efforts made to grapple with
such disasters. We were, so t() speak, ab8()rbed
in the contemplation of our new 8()vereignty;
we had not yet shaken down into a steadygoing
old power, accustomed to look at all and
any events with the prestige of time to aid us ;
or rather, we could then only look back to any
example which the great law of the land, "timehonoured
custom," provided for us, and follow
in its footsteps as nearly as possible. In doing
so, we had little time to allow reflection to play