Subject: Modern History

Answer:

The recurring famines in colonial India during the mid-18th century onwards marked a dark chapter in Indian history, affecting millions of lives and exposing the structural vulnerabilities created by colonial policies. The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 alone claimed approximately one-third of Bengal's population, highlighting the devastating impact of these man-made disasters.

Major Reasons for Frequent Famines

Colonial Economic Policies

• The East India Company's exploitative revenue policies forced farmers to grow cash crops like indigo and opium instead of food crops.
• Implementation of Permanent Settlement in 1793 led to excessive revenue demands, leaving peasants with minimal resources for survival during crop failures.
• The commercialization of agriculture prioritized export-oriented crops, reducing food grain production for local consumption.

Destruction of Traditional Safety Nets

• Dismantling of village grain banks and indigenous storage systems that previously helped communities during food shortages.
• The breakdown of traditional jajmani system which ensured food distribution among different social groups.
• Decline of local handicrafts and cottage industries that provided alternative employment during agricultural distress.

British Administrative Failures

• Inadequate famine relief measures and delayed response to early warning signs of food scarcity.
• The notorious distance of relief works from affected villages, making it difficult for weakened people to access help.
• Implementation of strict Victorian principles of minimal state intervention in relief operations.

Transportation and Trade Policies

• Export of food grains continued even during periods of local scarcity to maintain Britain's trade interests.
• The development of railways facilitated the transport of food grains to ports for export rather than distribution to deficit areas.
• Breakdown of traditional trade networks that earlier ensured food security through local grain markets.

Environmental and Economic Factors

• Increased commercialization led to soil degradation and reduced agricultural productivity.
• The decline of traditional irrigation systems made agriculture more dependent on monsoons.
• Heavy taxation left peasants with no surplus to tide over drought years.

The recurring famines in colonial India were thus primarily a result of systemic exploitation rather than natural calamities. The British Famine Commission's reports and modern scholarship confirm that these famines were preventable disasters, stemming from colonial economic policies and administrative negligence.