•   A very large number of famines struck India during British rule.

•   These famines caused a widespread scarcity of food and were responsible for numerous deaths across the country.

•   The impact of these famines and the amount of mortalities were aggravated by British policies.

o  1770: Great Bengal Famine

o  1791: Doji Bara famine (Skull famine) of Madras

o  1860: Upper Doab famine

o  1865: Odisha famine

o  1876: Great famine (Southern India)

o  1896: Great famine (large part of India)

o  1943 Bengal famine

•   Major causes of these famines are following:

o  Colonial policies include high rate of taxation, war time inflation, one sided free trade policies, the expansion of export agriculture, commercial farming and neglect of agricultural investment.

o  Policy lapses such as prioritising distribution of vital supplies to the military, civil services and others as well as stopping rice imports.

o  Drain of wealth from India leading to impoverishment of native Indians.

o  The natural disasters like cyclone, floods and droughts.

o  Inadequate Famine Codes: - these Codes explicitly ordered the public officials to spend the minimum that was necessary, only to prevent the loss of lives, and nothing beyond that.