Grain Trade, Climate Change and Famines: A Study of Awadh from c. 1858–1900

Abstract

This study is based on an interesting debate between the British authorities and the Indian nationalists over the issues of frequent famines during the colonial period in India. The British officials largely emphasised the role of deficient rainfall behind the occurrence of famines. But the Indian nationalists saw these famines as an impact of the colonial policies like unequal redistribution of the food-grains available in the local markets as a trade item which led to the rise in prices of food grains and made it beyond the reach of the masses. In the nationalist approach, the man-made scarcity of food grains and the price rise of the same were the main reasons behind the famines. However, some British surveyors argued that the unplanned destruction and conservation of the forests for the capital accumulation not only led to irregular rainfall pattern which gradually affected agricultural output but also deprived the local masses from the benefits of forests especially during the famine period. Thus, the present article takes up some of the issues like rainfall pattern, deforestation, food grain production and grain trade to understand the occurrence of famines in the region of Awadh soon after the direct British rule over India since 1858, mainly using the official data of nineteenth century along with the secondary works.