What was the main reason for the famine in Bengal in 1770?
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Crop failure in autumn 1768 and summer 1769 and an accompanying smallpox epidemic were thought to be the manifest reasons for the famine. The Company had farmed out tax collection on account of a shortage of trained administrators, and the prevailing uncertainty may have worsened the famine’s impact.
How many people died in 1770 a Bengal famine terrible?
ten million people
The Bengal Famine of 1770 (which had already begun in 1769 and continued until 1773) is one of the greatest catastrophes in modern times. As many as ten million people, a third of the entire population, died as a consequence.

Was the Bengal famine man made?
Researchers have used old weather data and modern simulation methods to reach a conclusion long acknowledged by historians — the Bengal famine of 1943-44 was not caused by an agricultural drought but was man-made.
How many Bengalis died in Bengal famine?
An estimated 2.1–3 million, out of a population of 60.3 million, died of starvation, malaria, and other diseases aggravated by malnutrition, population displacement, unsanitary conditions and lack of health care….
Bengal famine of 1943 | |
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Period | 1943–1944 |
Total deaths | Estimated 2.1 to 3 million in Bengal alone |
Who was Bengal Bengal famine of 1770?
On 26 December 1769 Cartier succeeded Harry Verelst as Governor of Bengal. Cartier was governor at time of the Bengal famine of 1770, during which one-third of the populace died.

What was the immediate consequence of the famine of 1770?
The immediate effect of the famine was the depopulation of severely affected areas. About one-third of the population, ie, about 10 million people perished in this famine. Agricultural production and revenue collection declined substantially.
Who is responsible for Bengal famine?
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill, in India, is remembered as the man who caused the devastating Bengal Famine.
Why is the year 1770 Famous?
March 5 – Boston Massacre: Eleven American men are shot (five fatally) by British troops, in an event that helps start the American Revolutionary War five years later.
Why did the British finally leave India in 1947?
An early symptom of the weakness of the empire was Britain’s withdrawal from India in 1947. During World War Two, the British had mobilised India’s resources for their imperial war effort. They crushed the attempt of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress to force them to ‘quit India’ in 1942.
Which disease is responsible for Bengal famine?
Though administrative failures were immediately responsible for this human suffering, the principal cause of the short crop supply in 1943 was the epidemic of brown spot disease which attacked the rice crop in Bengal in 1942 [1].
How did Bengal famine end?
New Delhi, India – The Bengal famine of 1943 estimated to have killed up to three million people was not caused by drought but instead was a result of a “complete policy failure” of the then-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, a recent study has said.
How did Churchill cause Bengal famine?
A cyclone and flooding in Bengal in 1942 triggered the famine. But the policies of Sir Winston Churchill and his cabinet are blamed for making the situation worse. Yasmin Khan, a historian at Oxford University, describes the ‘denial policy’ that was implemented fearing a Japanese invasion from Burma.
What was the Great Bengal famine of 1770?
This article talks about The Great Bengal Famine of 1770. It has been described as one of the worst disasters of pre-Independent India. A disastrous famine affected the lower Gangetic Plains of India including the regions of Bengal and Bihar between 1769 and 1773 where 1/3 rd of the population perished.
What was the famine of 76?
The Famine of 76) was a famine that struck the Bengal region between 1769 and 1770 (1176 to 1177 in the Bengali calendar) and affected some 30 million people. It occurred during a period of dual governance in Bengal.
What is the Bengali translation of the word famine?
The Bengali name Chiẏāttôrer mônnôntôr is derived from Bengali calendar year 1176 and the Bengali translation of famine. The regions in which the famine occurred affected the modern Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal in particular, but the famine also extended into Orissa and Jharkhand as well as modern Bangladesh.
Where did the great famine occur in India?
The regions in which the famine occurred affected the modern Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal in particular, but the famine also extended into Orissa and Jharkhand as well as modern Bangladesh. Among the worst affected areas were Birbhum and Murshidabad in Bengal, and Tirhut, Champaran and Bettiah in Bihar.