Colonial India: A Legacy of Neglect

Bengal (map area highlighted) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region that is located in what is today India and Bangladesh. Bengal, and India in general have had a long history of famines, many of which occurred during the era of British colonization in the area. Starting in 1770, 12 major famines occurred, killing millions of people. While drought is common in India, and can be seen as a major contributor to famines, I would like to investigate the other factors, specifically pertaining to British rule over the area. It is important to note that there has not been a major famine in India since it gained its independence in 1947. While famines seem to be an issue of the past for the country, this history has had major impacts on the current conditions in India, and understanding the greater context, policies, and beliefs that set the stage for these famines can help us analyze and understand modern food inequality, allowing us to refine our knowledge as we seek to craft solutions for the future.

This map details the long history of British rule and colonization of India. You can see that there are several "major centers of uprising" in Bengal and areas surrounding it. This map further demonstrates that Bengal was one of the first places of British conquest within India. This is important because British rule appears to correlate directly to the prominence of famines, and seems to have been a key factor in why so many happened from 1770-1947.

The first of the major famines of this era was the Bengal Famine of 1770. During this time, Bengal was under the control of the British East India Company. In 1768, there was a slight drought, with conditions worsening the following year. Things only got worse in the year 1770, when people began dying of starvation while British East India Company officers only ignored their pleas for help. This famine killed a third of the population of Bengal at the time, with estimates for death the toll being ranging from 2 million to 10 million. The inaccuracy in count of death and the poor records kept emphasizes the lack of care that the company had for these people, and adds credence to their apparent disregard for the problems at hand. This was also demonstrated in our class reading from Victoria’s Ghosts. Not only were death tolls erased or at best poorly accounted for, but this lack of regard for the local populace seems to have justified the mistreatment of these people in the minds of the colonizers. Colonial ways of thinking, focused on commerce and profit lead to the willful ignorance of those in power regarding the immense struggles rural people were facing. This colonial dynamic can be seen through the past accounts of the lack of aid provided by the British during periods of famine such as 1768-70, as well as in the current knowledge and data that is presented on these famines.

While the drought and poor conditions can be seen as a partial cause, we cannot ignore the neglect that the British East India Company showed the people of Bengal. In order to maximize profits, the company had increased land taxes and trade tariffs making self-sufficiency far more difficult for the local population. Along with this, the company imposed many policies on the people to create a monopoly on grain trading in the area. Lack of transportation of food has also been cited as a major obstacle during this time. While many people in Bengal starved, the British East India Company was increasing its profit from 15 million rupees in 1765 up to 30 million rupees in 1777.

After many years of British control and 12 more major famines, the Bengal Famine occurred, the last major famine of the British era. This event proved to be very significant in painting a picture of the corrupt and racist nature of British rule, instructive is highlighting a colonial culture that allowed for so many famines to occur. This last famine occurred during a time when drought was not an issue. Though many years and previous famines had passed, the imperial policies the British imposed on India remained in many ways unchanged, allowing for more people to be affected by starvation, and illustrating the perceived "disposability" of the rural people by the colonizers. This makes the underlying issue of racism readily apparent. When some British officials attempted a humane response, requesting supplies and food to help, Winston Churchill refused. He said, “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion”(Hari, 2010). This lack of care and overt racial bias seems clearly to have been a major basis for the policies of the British East India Company which directly contributed to the death of 2,000,000 people. The many devastating famines the British allowed had, not surprisingly, substantial impacts on the growth of the country in the 19th and 20th centuries.

After gaining independence, the Indian government began implementing new policies in order to give rural populations food security and better infrastructure. Things such as improved food distribution and additional buffer food stocks, rural employment generation, transportation, and irrigation allowed for a dramatic decrease in deaths due to famine, while also allowing for major population growth and slowly, economic improvement.

On this map you can see the progress that has been made in the country and specifically in Bengal since the colonial period. Metrics such as households with irrigation equipment and households owning mechanized three/four wheeler agricultural equipment show the improvement of self-sufficiency and food security for rural families. Further, with these measurable infrastructure enhancements, you can see how the people themselves have been positively affected based on factors such as the percentage of children who are underweight, and the ratio of rural households covered under the public distribution system (PDS), along with other measures of personal and economic well being. Notably, the PDS is India's food security system that distributes staple foods to rural households where monthly income of the highest earning member is less than 5,000 rupees, helping to decrease the number of people facing hunger. A reduction in PDS reliance is therefore an excellent metric in monitoring the health of India, and Bengal’s overall economic system.

While much progress has been made, one is left to question how much further along the curve of development and equality India would have had colonial interests not exploited the nation’s resources while disregarding the needs of its people. While famines without a doubt lead to slower population growth and delayed economic development in India, a balanced view would also note that British rule did leave certain remnants that have been beneficial as India has charted its own course in recent decades. A distinct national identity arose out of the colonial era, and with it a clear focus on self-determination and the interests of the population. In addition, government institutions and methods, many adopted as a result of British involvement, have proven effective in many ways as India has grown and developed into a significant cultural and economic player on today’s world stage.

A question for future discussion: How can we use the past examples of famines and India's progress to inform us on current global food inequality, in order to find productive solutions for the future?