The Bengal Famine of 1769 - 70 was worsened by
High levels of taxation
Understanding the Bengal Famine of 1769-70
The Bengal Famine of 1769-70, also known as the Great Famine of Bengal, was a devastating period that severely affected the lower Gangetic plain region, including Bengal and parts of Bihar and Odisha. This famine was a humanitarian crisis with significant loss of life and had profound long-term consequences.
Several factors contributed to the famine. While natural events like drought did play a role by causing crop failure, human actions, particularly the policies of the British East India Company, significantly worsened the situation and turned a potential hardship into a catastrophe.
Factors that Worsened the Bengal Famine
Let's examine the options provided and understand how each relates to the Bengal Famine of 1769-70:
- Locust attacks: While locust attacks can cause crop damage, they are not typically cited as a primary or major worsening factor for the Bengal Famine of 1769-70 in historical accounts.
- Rat infestation: Similar to locust attacks, rat infestations can damage crops and stored grain, but historical records do not highlight this as a significant cause or worsening factor for this particular famine on the scale observed.
- High levels of taxation: The British East India Company had recently gained control over the revenue collection rights (Diwani) of Bengal in 1765. Their primary focus was maximizing revenue. Even as the drought started affecting crops in 1768 and became severe in 1769, the company maintained high land revenue demands and aggressively collected taxes. Peasants were forced to pay revenue even when they had little to no harvest. This policy extracted grain from the starving population, reducing their ability to store food or even eat what little they produced. The company also restricted rice trading and profited from hoarding, further driving up prices and making food inaccessible to the poor. These actions directly worsened the impact of crop failure.
- Smallpox epidemic: Epidemics, like smallpox, often accompany famines as malnutrition weakens populations and makes them more susceptible to disease. A smallpox epidemic did occur during the famine period and certainly increased mortality. However, the epidemic was a consequence and concurrent crisis, rather than a primary factor that *worsened* the famine itself in terms of food scarcity and access. The famine created the conditions for the epidemic to be more deadly.
Impact of Taxation Policies
The high levels of taxation imposed by the British East India Company played a crucial role in intensifying the Bengal Famine. Instead of providing relief or reducing demands during a period of drought and crop failure, the company prioritized revenue collection. This forced farmers to sell their assets, including food grain meant for their own consumption or seeds for the next harvest, just to pay taxes. The rigid and excessive tax demands, coupled with exploitative trading practices by company officials and their agents, stripped the region of its food reserves and purchasing power, leaving the population highly vulnerable when harvests failed.
Comparing Worsening Factors
While natural factors like drought initiated the crisis, the policies implemented by the ruling authority significantly amplified its severity. The relentless pursuit of revenue through high taxation directly exacerbated the food shortage and economic hardship faced by the people of Bengal during 1769-70, making it a major worsening factor.
Revision Table: Bengal Famine 1769-70
| Event | Period | Key Causes/Worsening Factors |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal Famine | 1769-1770 | Severe drought, British East India Company's high taxation and revenue policies, hoarding by traders (including company agents), neglect of irrigation systems. |
Additional Information: British East India Company's Role
The Bengal Famine of 1769-70 is often cited as one of the earliest and most devastating examples of the negative consequences of the British East India Company's rule in India. The company's focus on maximizing profits and revenue, rather than ensuring the welfare of the local population, led to policies that directly contributed to the scale and severity of the famine. The acquisition of Diwani rights transformed the company from a trading entity into a territorial power, leading to increased exploitation of resources and people in Bengal.
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