{"id":14862,"date":"2023-11-06T10:13:37","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T10:13:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/?p=14862"},"modified":"2024-01-31T12:51:11","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T12:51:11","slug":"why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks\/","title":{"rendered":"Why was there a sudden spurt in famines in colonial India since the mid-eighteenth century?  Give reasons. (150 Words 10 Marks)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-gs-advance-and-mentorship-program-ampcsat?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Link&amp;utm_campaign=GS+Advanced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8.png 1280w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8-1170x274.png 1170w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Attempt-our-Daily-Weekly-Current-Affairs-Quiz-now-8-585x137.png 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The mid-eighteenth century saw a surge in famines in colonial India due to factors like exploitative British colonial policies leading to land revenue extraction, conversion of agricultural land for cash crops, disruption of traditional agricultural practices, and the imposition of high taxes, causing agrarian distress and vulnerability to food shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong>UPSC Mains General Studies Paper \u2013 1 Mains 2022<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/upsc-mains-civil-services-ias-exam-question-paper-2022\/\">UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Exam Question Paper \u2013 2022<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e1d79567953\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e1d79567953\"  \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks\/#Approach\" title=\"Approach&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\">Approach&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks\/#Answer\" title=\"Answer\">Answer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks\/#Introduction\" title=\"Introduction&nbsp;&nbsp;\">Introduction&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks\/#Body\" title=\"Body&nbsp;&nbsp;\">Body&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/why-was-there-a-sudden-spurt-in-famines-in-colonial-india-since-the-mid-eighteenth-century-give-reasons-150-words-10-marks\/#In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_8792740517\" title=\"In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 8792740517.&nbsp;\">In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 8792740517.&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Approach\"><\/span>Approach&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Start with emphasising the key word&nbsp;<strong> (famine) .<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Discuss the<strong> reasons<\/strong> for the sudden increase in <strong>famines in colonial India<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Answer\"><\/span>Answer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The mid-eighteenth century marked a tragic turning point in the history of colonial India, as the region experienced a distressing surge in the occurrence of famines. These devastating famines, characterised by <strong>widespread starvation, loss of lives, and socio-economic upheaval, bore testimony to a complex interplay of socio-economic, political, environmental, and colonial factors. <\/strong>The <strong>1769-70 famine<\/strong> in <strong>Bengal<\/strong>, was caused by a <strong>combination<\/strong> of factors, including erratic rainfall and a <strong>smallpox epidemic<\/strong> whereas the <strong>1783-84 famine<\/strong> in Bengal was caused by<strong> crop failure<\/strong> over a wide area, which resulted in a significant shortage of food.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-essay?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Banner&amp;utm_campaign=Essay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"300\" data-src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42412 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10.png 1280w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10-1170x274.png 1170w, https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/10-585x137.png 585w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1280px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1280\/300;\" \/><\/a><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-essay?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Link&amp;utm_campaign=Essay\">UPSC Essay Course<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Body\"><\/span>Body&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Reasons<\/strong>: There were several reasons why famines became more frequent in <strong>colonial India<\/strong> in the mid-18th century.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Rural obligation:<\/strong> <strong>Debt<\/strong> has always been a significant issue in India&#8217;s rural economy, particularly during the <strong>British colonial period.<\/strong> The British Government imposed exorbitant rents and<strong> illegitimate taxes<\/strong> on the peasants, which made it difficult for them to make ends meet. As a result, many farmers had to <strong>borrow money <\/strong>from <strong>moneylenders<\/strong> to meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Drought:<\/strong> The <strong>excessive rainfall in 1770<\/strong> in <strong>Bengal,<\/strong> which is now present-day India and Bangladesh, did not alleviate the sufferings of the people who had experienced a drought the year before. Instead, it caused the <strong>overflowing of rivers and damaged standing crops, leading to a further decrease in food production and availability&#8217;s<\/strong> situation leads to starvation, malnutrition, and epidemics, mainly among agricultural laborer groups who are already vulnerable to <strong>food shortages and malnutrition due to their low-income levels.<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Policy of British:<\/strong> The famines during the colonial era were a<strong> tragic consequence<\/strong> of <strong>British colonial policies and economic exploitation in India<\/strong>. The mass export of <strong>agricultural<\/strong> produce to England by the British led to a shortage of food supply in India, which ultimately culminated in severe famines. The policy of <strong>exploitation <\/strong>was further reinforced by the introduction of the<strong> Permanent Settlement by Cornwallis in 1793.&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Economic factors:<\/strong> The colonial government&#8217;s revenue <strong>extraction policies<\/strong>, including the Permanent Settlement in <strong>Bengal<\/strong>, resulted in a decline in<strong> agricultural productivity and increased rural poverty. <\/strong>The imposition of heavy taxes and rents on peasants by the <strong>colonial government <\/strong>made it difficult for them to invest in agriculture, leading to a decline in agricultural productivity and <strong>increased rural poverty.<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Administrative failure:<\/strong> The colonial government&#8217;s inadequate response to famines contributed to the<strong> severity and spread<\/strong> of famines in colonial India. The British colonial government was often <strong>reluctant to import food or provide relief<\/strong> during famines, as they were more interested in maintaining their <strong>profits and revenue streams.<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Market forces:<\/strong> The growth of cash crops for export and the <strong>integration of Indian agriculture into the global market led to a rise in food prices and reduced access to food for the poor.<\/strong> the cultivation of cash crops like indigo, tea, and cotton for export, led to conversion of agricultural land away from food crops. This <strong>conversion<\/strong> led to a decline in the production of food crops, which, in turn, led to a rise in food prices.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Famines during the British period like the <strong><em>Bengal Famine of 1770, the Great Famine of 1876-78, and the Deccan Famine of 1900-1902, <\/em><\/strong>resulted in widespread suffering, loss of lives, and socio-economic upheaval.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence, the sudden increase in famines in colonial India was a result of a complex interplay of <strong><em>economic exploitation, environmental degradation, socio-political factors, and inadequate governance<\/em><\/strong> by the British colonial authorities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-essay?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Banner&amp;utm_campaign=Essay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/UPSC-Essay-Course-1280\u00d7300-1-3.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42688 lazyload\" width=\"781\" height=\"182\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 781px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 781\/182;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_8792740517\"><\/span><strong>In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 8792740517.<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>For UPSC Prelims Resources, <a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc-cse-prelims-resource-centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Daily Updates and Study Material: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join our Telegram Channel &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/WithEdukemy4IAS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Edukemy for IAS<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>1. Learn through Videos &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vOD8sU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> <\/li><li>2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Q9z2nF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> <\/li><li>3. Daily Newsletter &#8211; Get all your Current Affairs Covered &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bE2y5J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> <\/li><li>4. Mains Answer Writing Practice &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mZuVxl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mid-eighteenth century saw a surge in famines in colonial India due to factors like exploitative British colonial policies leading to land revenue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":14898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1401],"tags":[186,299,354,142,232,145,353],"class_list":["post-14862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-upsc-mains-solved-paper-gs-1","tag-general-studies-1","tag-geography-general-studies","tag-history","tag-previous_year_questions","tag-upsc","tag-upsc-mains-question-paper","tag-upsc-model-answers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14862"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24602,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14862\/revisions\/24602"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}