EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 8 MIN
The Famine That Changed Everything: Bengal 1770
from The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In 1770, Bengal was devastated by a famine that killed an estimated ten million people — roughly a third of the population. This episode explores the causes: British East India Company policies, the disastrous diwani system under the Treaty of Allahabad, the doubling of land taxes, and the collapse of the monsoon. We follow the role of officials like Warren Hastings and the response (or lack thereof) from London. The famine reshaped Bengal's economy, accelerated its deindustrialization, and planted seeds of resentment that would fuel later rebellions. We discuss the controversy around British culpability — was it an act of nature, or man-made? — and how the famine is remembered (or forgotten) today. #BengalFamine1770 #GreatBengalFamine #EastIndiaCompany #WarrenHastings #Diwani #TreatyOfAllahabad #MughalBengal #BritishImperialism #FamineHistory #BengalHistory #Deindustrialization #Taxation #MonsoonFailure #LunarCalendar #CompanyRule #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialIndia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
In 1770, Bengal was devastated by a famine that killed an estimated ten million people — roughly a third of the population. This episode explores the causes: British East India Company policies, the disastrous diwani system under the Treaty of Allahabad, the doubling of land taxes, and the collapse of the monsoon. We follow the role of officials like Warren Hastings and the response (or lack thereof) from London. The famine reshaped Bengal's economy, accelerated its deindustrialization, and planted seeds of resentment that would fuel later rebellions. We discuss the controversy around British culpability — was it an act of nature, or man-made? — and how the famine is remembered (or forgotten) today. #BengalFamine1770 #GreatBengalFamine #EastIndiaCompany #WarrenHastings #Diwani #TreatyOfAllahabad #MughalBengal #BritishImperialism #FamineHistory #BengalHistory #Deindustrialization #Taxation #MonsoonFailure #LunarCalendar #CompanyRule #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialIndia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The Famine That Changed Everything: Bengal 1770
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