The hungry empire: How Britain starved Bengal
Colonial Crimes Conference 2026, Ankara, Turkey, 27 - 28 April 2026, (Summary Text)
- Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
- City: Ankara
- Country: Turkey
- Istanbul Gelisim University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This work explains the relationship between British colonial
economic policies and recurrent famines in Bengal between 1757 and 1947. Once
among the richest regions in the world, Bengal underwent a profound transition
under colonial rule, becoming associated with deindustrialization, poverty, and
repeated humanitarian crises. Focusing on the famines of 1770, 1873-74, and
1943, the paper argues that these events were not primarily the result of
natural scarcity, but rather the outcome of political and economic decisions
embedded within an extractive colonial system. The analysis is based on three
theoretical perspectives: Amartya Sen’s entitlement approach, drain theory, and
the colonial capitalism framework. Together, these approaches highlight how
famine emerged from the erosion of access to food, the systematic transfer of
surplus to the metropole, and the integration of agrarian economies into global
market structures. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-methods design,
combining archival research, quantitative economic reconstruction, and comparative
historical analysis. The findings demonstrate recurring structural patterns
across famine episodes, including rigid revenue demands, the persistence of
export-oriented policies, and administrative inaction. These patterns suggest
that famine mortality in colonial Bengal should be understood as a form of
structural violence, shaped by imperial priorities rather than ecological
inevitability. The study contributes to ongoing debates on colonial economic
impact, famine theory, and the political production of hunger.
Keywords: British colonialism; Bengal famine; economic
exploitation; structural violence.