The Bengal Famine of 1770: Britain's First Colonial Catastrophe

In 1770, as the East India Company tightened its grip on Bengal, a famine of unimaginable scale killed millions. But was it a natural disaster — or a man-made catastrophe born of colonial policy? Lucas and Luna dig into the Bengal Famine of 1770, exploring the Company's revenue demands, the collapse of credit, and the hoarding of grain by officials like Warren Hastings. They trace the famine's roots to the Diwani Grant of 1765 and the extractive system it enabled, and examine how the Company's response — or lack thereof — set a grim precedent for future empires. Along the way, they confront a haunting question: could the famine have been prevented? This episode also touches on the contemporary debate between Edmund Burke and the Company's defenders, and the silent legacy of millions whose names history forgot. A sobering look at the intersection of climate, commerce, and power. #BengalFamine1770 #EastIndiaCompany #WarrenHastings #DiwaniGrant #EdmundBurke #BritishRaj #ColonialIndia #FamineHistory #MughalIndia #BengalHistory #ClimateHistory #EconomicHistory #HistoryOfExploitation #18thCentury #SouthAsianHistory #Imperialism #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo