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FAMINES IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, 1500 to 1767
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1734 (a) [from 1733; to 1736]: south-east India1734 map
Documented causes: drought; poor water-tank maintenance; war
Documented effects: voluntary slavery; euthanasia; official and Christian relief efforts

Fort St. George "Diary and Consultation Book, 1734" (1930)
p15 (consultation of 19 Jan 1734): [petition from entrepreneurs living near Fort St. David, who have had a lease of the right to collect various taxes and duties in the Company's estate there] "... We have had no Rain this season, and all our Crops of Corn are wither'd, and have been great sufferers thereby so that we cannot afford to take it upon us. The Village Habitants have also been great sufferers this season, and are not able to pay so much Loss. We have a Ballance of P. 600 of Tobacco remaining in the Godown.
On the Windmill at Horsetail Point the Habitants paid Pags. 160 and for want of Rain this Year they Complain they are great Loosers, and are not Capable of paying it."

p33 (consultation of 25 Feb 1734): "Having in the beginning of the Month agreed to put a Quantity of Lead up to Sale to Morrow in expectation that the returning Boats wou'd be in want thereof, but the Scarcity and Dearness of Grain having engaged 'em to endeavour to make a second trip so that they are all gone again to the Northward, AGREED to defer the Sale till a better Opportunity there being no likelyhood of disposing of it till they return."

p47 (consultation of 8 Apr 1734): [report of a sub-committee investigating problems at Fort St. David] "... We have also considerd the Deputy Gov'r. and Councils proposal in their Letter of the 27th. Dec'r. to keep a Quantity of Grain in Store, and offer it to Yr. Hon'r. &c. as our Opinion that during the present state of that Settlement it wou'd be very necessary to do so as well for the safety of the Place, as the Compa's. Interest, the People in General being so very Poor there, that they have not money to Supply themselves with more than from Hand to Mouth. Possibly there may be two or three Merchants of Substance Sufficient to buy up Quantitys, but that lying in so few Hands they wou'd in a time of Scarcity grow very exorbitant if the Company were without a quantity to fling into the Market upon such Occasions."
[agreed by Council that Fort St. David should] "lay in a Store of Paddy, annually at the cheapest time sufficient for the Supply of the Military Gunroom, Peons Washers &c. Necessary Servants of the Company for the Year and also to fling into the Market upon Occasion" [subject to keeping a register of supplies transferred between Fort St. George and Fort St. David]
[NB: the investigators also considered the petition of 19 Jan, and were baffled to discover that, among other problems, the same goods were taxed at different rates depending on which road they used to enter the Company's estate; also (p48) that] "they are wholly impossitions on the Poor, that the Merchants hardly ever pay any thing, and that the Talliars take from the Poor People what they please ..."

p149 (consultation of 25 Nov 1734): [letter from Fort St. David, 11 Nov] "inclosing a Petition from their Merchants requesting to be allow'd for the great rise of the price of Indigo Occasion'd by the severe drought of the season, which the Deputy Governour and Council advise us is fact, and desire we will Consider.
...
… the Board Being sensible the allegations therein relating to the rise of the price of Indigo are true and knowing the Company are desirous their Merchants may be rather Gainers than Loosers by the Contract, AGREED to allow the Deputy Governour, and Council to give them such an advance on the Blue Cloth as they shall esteem to be Equitable."
Theodore Morison, "The economic transition in India" (1911)
p115: "1733-34. Fort St. George.- Some washers were driven by famine to stealing cloth: 'necessity led 'em to such a course. The famine said to have been made worse by Engrossers.' ("Coast and Bay Abstracts," vol. iv. p. 108.)"
V.M. Gnanapragasam, "Contribution of Fr. Beschi to Tamil" (PhD Thesis, University of Madras, 1965)
pp45-46: "In 1734, the Madurai region became again a battle-field, in which the Moghuls, the Tanjorians, the Tondamans and the Maravers took part. As a result a fierce famine raged and the churches at Elakkurichi, Vadugerpatti, Tiruchirapalli, Avur, and Marava suffered much. Fr. Beschi went on doing his best to lessen the troubles of his people."
Pierre de Hondt (ed.) "Histoire Générale des Voyages ..." (vol. 13, 1755)
pp489-90 (events of 1736, looking back 2 years): "L'extrême misère, qui depuis deux ans étoit générale dans tout le Carnate, avoit enlevé un grand nombre d'anciens Chrétiens. Pendant ces deux années, il n'étoit pas tombé une seule goutte de pluye. Les Puits, les Etangs, plusieurs Rivières même, avoient été à sec, & tous les grains brûlés dans les campagnes. Rien n'étoit plus commoun parmi ce pauvre Peuple, que de passer un & deux jours sans manger. Des familles entières, abandonnant leur demeure ordinaire, alloient dans les bois, pour se nourir de fruits sauvages, de feuilles, d'herbes & de racines. Ceux qui avoient des enfant, les vendoient pour une mesure de riz; d'autres qui ne trouvoient point à les vendre, les voyant mourrir cruellement de faim, les empoisonnoient pour abréger leurs souffrances. Un père de famille vint trouver un jour le Missionnaire,
'nous mourons de faim,' lui dit-il; 'donnez-nous dequoi manger, ou je vais empoisonner ma femme, mes cinq enfans, & ensuite je m'empoisonnerai moi-même.' Dans des occasions semblables, les charitables Pères sacrifioient jusqu'à leurs propres besoins. Le fruit qu'ils retirioient de leurs libéralités, étoit de donner le Batême à une infinité d'enfans de parens idolâtres.
AREAR [= Arcot] est une grande Ville, où la famine saisoit le plus de ravages, & c'étoit aussi le lieu où l'on prioit avec le plus de ferveur pour obtenir de la pluye. Le Nabab, en habit de Fakir, ou de Pénitent Mahométan, tête nue, les mains liées avec une chaîne de fleurs, & traînant une chaîne pareille qu'il avoit aux pieds, accompagné de plusieurs Seigneurs de sa Cour, tous dans le même équipage, se rendit en grande pompe à la Mosquée, pour obtenir de la pluye au nom de Mahomet. Ses voeux furent inutiles; & la sécheresse continua à l'ordinaire. Quelque-tems après, un fameux Pénitent Gentil, que les Infidèles regardoient comme un homme à miracles, se déchiqueta tout le corps avec un couteau, en présence du Peuple, en promettant une pluye abondante. Il ne fut pas plus exaucé que le Nabab. Quatre mois après, un Chef des Fakirs se fit enterrer jusqu'au col, bien résolu de ne pas sortir de sa fosse que la pluye ne fut venue. Il passa ainsi deux jours & deux nuits, ne cessant de crier de toutes ses forces au Prophête, qu'il y alloit de sa gloire s'il n'accordoit pas de la pluye. Enfin, perdant patience, il se fit déterrer le troisième jour, sans qu'il fut tombé une seule goutte de pluye, bien qu'il l'eût promise avec tant d'assurance.
[Source: "Lettre du P. Saignes, 3 Juin 1736. Rec. XXIV. Pag. 185- à 265."]
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