In 1876, between 30 and 60 million people around the world died as a result of a famine, which would become known as the Great Famine of 1876. Potentially caused by an El Niño year and warm temperatures in the Indian Ocean, which resulted in a lack of rain in India, Australia, and South America, widespread drought was responsible for the Great Famine. Six to ten million people in India starved to death due to drought and the resulting limited harvest. The death toll in India was exacerbated by British policies that poorly managed the distribution of supplies aimed at reducing the Indian death count.
Sen would have been 10 years old during the Great Famine of 1876 and she recalls various famines and moments of food scarcity that impacted her life throughout her childhood and adulthood. Sen discusses her family’s reaction to famine in her childhood (Sen 11-12) and recalls that “food was scarce” (Sen 47) while living with her late husband’s family as a widow.
Sources
Fecht, Sarah. “What Caused the Great Famine?” State of the Planet: News from the Columbia Climate School, 15 December 2017. https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2017/12/15/causes-great-famine-drought/. Accessed 22 May 2024.
“Government Response.” Environment & Society Portal, https://www.environmentandsociety.org/exhibitions/famines-india/government-response. Accessed 22 May 2024.
“Great Famine of 1876.” Environment & Society Portal, https://www.environmentandsociety.org/tools/keywords/great-famine-1876#:~:text=During%20the%20mid%2Dnineteenth%20century,and%20poor%20British%20food%20policies. Accessed 22 May 2024.