Why did the British let millions of Indians die, The Great Famine of India (1876–1878): The Holocaust in the Raj The Worst Disasters Ever Reported in History, Lord Lytton the Men Who Made It Happens.

The Madras famine of 1876–78 was one of the most devastating famines in Indian history.

which covered most of present-day Tamil Nadu, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The famine was caused by a combination of factors, including drought, crop failure, and government policies that failed to address the crisis effectively.

It is estimated that between 5.5 and 10 million people died due to starvation and diseases caused by malnutrition during this period.

The famine ultimately affected an area of 670,000 square kilometers and caused distress to a population totaling 58,500,000.

The excess mortality in the famine has been estimated in a range whose low end is 5.6 million human fatalities, and high end 9.6 million fatalities.

Willoughby Wallace Hooper, a British civil servant and amateur photographer, documented the famine in Madras and his pictures often referred to the famine sufferers as “objects”.

Willoughby Wallace Hooper was an English military officer and photographer who served for nearly forty years in the colonial army in southern India and British Burma during the second half of the 19th century.

He is known for his photographs of ethnic groups, and military and domestic scenes from the 1860s onwards.

He contributed to the ethnographic survey The People of India (8 vols, 1868–75), and his photographs of victims of the Madras famine of 1876–8 and of Burmese prisoners facing execution by a firing squad have raised concerns about the ethical behavior of photographers during his lifetime, as well as later on.

However, some of his photographs are also considered valuable for their ethnographic and historical significance.

India has had many famines throughout its history. Some of the major famines include the Bengal famine of 1943, the Bihar famine of 1873–74, the Great Famine of 1876–78 (which included the Madras famine), and the Orissa famine of 1866.

Here are 10 facts about the Madras famine that are worth knowing:

1. The Madras famine of 1876–1878 was one of the deadliest famines in modern history, with an estimated death toll of 5.5 million people.
2. The famine was caused by a combination of factors, including a widespread failure of monsoon rains, a rise in prices due to a global economic depression, and British colonial policies.
3. The British colonial administration, under the governorship of Lord Lytton, implemented policies that worsened the famine, including the “export or die” policy and the reduction of relief measures.
4. The “export or die” policy forced the export of grain from India to Britain, even during times of scarcity, leading to a shortage of food in India.
5. The reduction of relief measures, such as food aid and public works programs, left many people without access to basic necessities.
6. The famine led to widespread starvation and death, as well as the displacement of millions of people who were forced to sell their belongings and migrate to urban areas in search of food and work.
7. The Madras famine was one of the key events that led to the emergence of Indian nationalist movements, which sought to challenge British colonial rule and promote self-governance.
8. The famine also had a long-lasting impact on Indian society, leading to changes in agricultural practices, migration patterns, and social and economic structures.
9. The famine was documented in detail by British and Indian officials, including relief workers and journalists, who wrote about the suffering and death that they witnessed.
10. The Madras famine remains a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of natural disasters and colonial policies on vulnerable populations and continues to be studied and remembered by scholars and activists around the world.

The viceroy at that time was Lord Lytton who adopted a hands-off approach similar to that employed in Ireland during the potato famine.

Lord Lytton, whose full name was Edward Robert Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, was a 19th-century English statesman, Conservative politician, poet, and writer. He served as Viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880, during which time he was criticized for his handling of the Great Famine of 1876–78 and the Second Anglo-Afghan War.

Lord Lytton, who served as the Viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880, was heavily criticized for his handling of the Madras famine of 1876–1878.

His policies, such as the “export or die” policy and the reduction of relief measures, worsened the impact of the famine and led to widespread suffering and death.

Lord Lytton believed in a laissez-faire approach to governance, where the government should not interfere in the workings of the market, and this approach influenced his policies during the famine.

He believed that the market would regulate itself and that government intervention would only lead to inefficiencies.

Lord Lytton’s response to the famine was heavily criticized by Indian nationalists, who saw it as evidence of the callousness and indifference of British colonial rule.

The famine and the British response to it became a rallying point for Indian nationalist movements, which called for self-governance and an end to British colonial rule in India.

The famine had a profound impact on India’s future policies and led to the creation of the Famine Commission of India in 1880. The commission was established to investigate the causes of famines and suggest measures for their prevention and relief.

Famines in India were usually caused by droughts which are usually the root cause of famines. Other natural causes include floods, cyclones, storms, earthquakes, and insect infestations. The loss of wages from the lack of employment of agricultural laborers and artisans was also identified as a cause of famines.

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