FAMINES IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, 1500 to 1767

1756 (a): north Gujarat / Marwar
Documented causes: drought
Documented effects: heavy mortality

Lieut. Col. A.T. Etheridge, "Report on Past Famines in the Bombay Presidency" (1868) [Reports collected by local officials in all districts]

32 [Pahlunpoor, by Lieut. Col. Arthur]: it appears that there had been total failures of rain in the years A.D. 1747, 1756 [etc.] ... Distress consequent on these bad seasons was felt by the people from want of grain, which was not grown at all in those years. The poorer portion of the population were the more affected, and many are said to have died from sheer want of food. ... [see 1747 for more]

G.R. Parihar, "Marwar and the Marathas (1724-1843 A.D.)" (1968)

p88 "Bijay Singh returned to Nagor in December and reopened the peace parleys with Dattaji Sindia in January 1756. The Marathas, too, had no fair prospects due to the long siege and famine conditions prevailing in the beginning of 1756 in Marwar. [Source: G.S. Serdesai (ed.) "Selections From Peshwa Daftar" (vol. 21) p56] Therefore they were willing to conclude an agreement with Bijay Singh. The treaty was signed in February, 1756."

1756 (b): Adoni area

Documented causes: unspecified

Documented effects: revenue falls and does not recover

John Kelsall, "Manual of the Bellary District" (1872)

p142: "The Jaghire of Adoni ... In 1752 when the district was in the possession of Mohdin Khan the assessment was C. Pagodas 3,17,001, at which rate it continued with little variation till 1757 when in consequence of a famine which had happened in the preceding year and probably also through indolent management on the part of Basalut Jung who had just succeeded to the jaghire it fell in the course of a few years to C. Pagodas 2,27,727. It remained nearly at the same level till 1781 ..."

1756: suddenly not governing Calcutta

Documented causes: a clash of wills and philosophies

Documented effects: among the most far-reaching in history

Fort St. George, "Diary and Consultation Book (Public Department), 1756" (1943)

p21 (consultation of 17 Aug 1756): [In response to news received a few days earlier about events in Bengal in June:] "The great Importance of the Settlement of Calcutta to the Company appears in such a Light to the Board that they are thoroughly satisfied the utmost Efforts should be made to recover it. It is Agreed therefore to consult Mr. Watson [commander of the Royal Navy squadron sent to aid the Company's "Bombay Marine" merchant protection vessels against the expected French squadron- who had incidentally helped to reduce the dangers to merchant shipping in February 1756, soon after his arrival, by using his squadron's vast firepower to destroy the aggressive Maratha fleet and open the defences of its supposedly impregnable base at Vijaydurg / Gheria to Robert Clive's force of Marines] on this Occasion as it is the Opinion of the Board the Squadron or part, may render great Services at this time, and in Consequence of this Resolution it is Agreed to suspend the Embarkation of the Troops as settled in Consultation the 14th. untill further Measures have been concerted with Mr. Watson."

A.R. Pillai "The Diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai: Translated From the Tamil ..." (vol. 10, 1925)

pp170-1 (entry for 14 Aug 1756, recounting a conversation about the capture of Calcutta): "I asked M. Barthélemy the causes of this war. He replied, ‘Ali Virdi Khan, who was long Nawab died five or six months ago and his younger brother’s son immediately succeeded him. The French, the Danes, the Dutch and others in his country, visited him with nazars, but the English did not, saying that they would only do so when he had received his parwana of confirmation from the Padshah. [Footnote: "But Cf. Hill’s Bengal, in 1756-67, Vol, I, p, xlviii, and references cited there."] This conduct on the part of men who were only tenants under him exasperated the Nawab, so he has seized their city and done them all this damage. When they lost Madras [to the French in 1746; returned by treaty in 1748], they could borrow a crore of rupees to continue their business, as they still had the city of Calcutta; and they have not yet repaid that loan. What other town have they where, in time of need, they can borrow one or even two crores? All wealth centred there, and no city of India could be compared with it. But now that they have lost their wealthy city, they will hardly be able to continue exporting the silk yarn and cloth, the shawls, and the other produce of Bengal. Their day of prosperity is over and they cannot endure much longer.’ I replied, ‘By the destruction of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, the English suffered great losses [Lisbon, a major centre for British international traders, was destroyed by an earthquake on 1 Nov 1755]. Now too they have lost much. The Angrias and Marathas are attacking Lemba [Footnote: "... Perhaps Bombay is meant. ..."], so there is trouble there. Amidst all these misfortunes, the English can scarcely prosper on this coast.’ He answered that the times were so bad as to involve all the hat-wearing people [i.e. Europeans, as opposed to South Asian turban-wearing people] in troubles. ‘True,’ I replied, ‘the Tranquebar [Danish] people have suffered troubles, the like of which they had never known before. The Dutch too have suffered great losses and their trade in India has declined. As for the Portuguese, their capital has been destroyed. There are troubles in the Masulipatam country, so what you say is true.’ "