A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE NATURAL CALAMITIES

‘A Social History of the Natural Calamities in Colonial Bengal (1770-1943)’ is an attempt to address an aspect of natural history under the aegis of social history. The work commences with the Great Famine of 1770 and culminates in the famine of 1943 in Colonial Bengal. If one observes carefully, he or she will realize chronologically it is in congruence with the beginning and end of the colonial regime. This book mainly focuses on the major destructive natural occurrences, which had serious consequence on the social structure so much so that the political authority or the ‘state’ was compelled to reciprocate. This work is not a mere grand narrative of the natural occurrences but it has tried to show how blatantly they expose the issue of poverty and role of the state.