The Bengal Cyclone of 1876 hit Bengal on October 31st 1876. An estimated 200,000 people were killed. It is supposed that approximately half of the deaths were caused by disease and starvation due to flooding. In her autobiography, Sen refers to a “famine of 1872” (12). It may be possible that she is actually referring to the famines that ensued from 1876 to 1878, perhaps partly driven by the cyclone. Sen’s family’s financial situation may have perhaps buffered her and her family from the devastating effects of the Bengal Cyclone, which is one potential reason why Sen would not have focused on it in her narrative.
Sources:
“Bengal Cyclone of 1876 -- Britannica Academic.” Accessed February 13, 2021. https://academic-eb-com.proxy.uchicago.edu/levels/collegiate/article/Bengal-cyclone-of-1876/443758.
Bhatia, B. M. Famines in India: A Study in Some Aspects of the Economic History of India with Special Reference to Food Problem, 1860-1990. Delhi: Konark Publishers, 1991. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002560697.
Sen, Haimabati. Because I am a Woman. Edited by Geraldine Forbes and Tapan Raychauduri. New Delhi, 2011.