Famine, Philanthropy and the Colonial State

This study looks at famines in North India in the early 19th century. It argues that north India became more vulnerable to droughts and famines as colonial rule expanded. The colonial quest for legitimacy of rule and pragmatic concern for revenue and life of its subjects, laid the foundation of long-time relief policy in India which persisted in independent India. This book is intended for students of Asian studies, global history, geography and colonialism. Social studies and ethics graduates would also gain from this text