第27章

ThroughouttheentirecourseofrecordedEuropeanhistory，fromtheremotetimesofwhichtheHomericpoemspreservethedimtraditiondowntothepresentmoment，therehasoccurrednocalamityatoncesosuddenandofsuchappallingmagnitudeasthefaminewhichinthespringandsummerof1770nearlyexterminatedtheancientcivilizationofBengal。ItpresentsthataspectofpreternaturalvastnesswhichcharacterizesthecontinentofAsiaandallthatconcernsit。TheBlackDeathofthefourteenthcenturywas，perhaps，themostfearfulvisitationwhichhaseverafflictedtheWesternworld。ButintheconcentratedmiserywhichitoccasionedtheBengalfaminesurpassedit，evenastheHimalayasdwarfbycomparisonthehighestpeaksofSwitzerland。 Itis，moreover，thekeytothehistoryofBengalduringthenextfortyyears；andassuch，merits，fromaneconomicalpointofview，closerattentionthanithashithertoreceived。 LowerBengalgathersinthreeharvestseachyear；inthespring，intheearlyautumn，andinDecember，thelastbeingthegreatrice-crop，theharvestonwhichthesustenanceofthepeopledepends。Throughtheyear1769therewasgreatscarcity，owingtothepartialfailureofthecropsof1768，butthespringrainsappearedtopromiserelief，andinspiteofthewarningappealsofprovincialofficers，thegovernmentwasslowtotakealarm，andcontinuedrigorouslytoenforcetheland-tax。ButinSeptembertherainssuddenlyceased。Throughouttheautumnthereruledaparchingdrought；andtherice-fields，accordingtothedescriptionofanativesuperintendentofBishenpore，“becamelikefieldsofdriedstraw。“Nevertheless，thegovernmentatCalcuttamade——withonelamentableexception，hereaftertobenoticed——nolegislativeattempttomeettheconsequencesofthisdangerousconditionofthings。Theadministrationoflocalaffairswasstill，atthatdate，intrustedtonativeofficials。 ThewholeinternalregulationwasinthehandsofthefamousMuhamadRezaEhan。HinduorMussulmanassessorspriedintoeverybarnandshrewdlyestimatedtheprobabledimensionsofthecropsoneveryfield；andthecourts，aswellasthepolice，werestillinnativehands。“Thesemen，“saysourauthor，“knewthecountry，itscapabilities，itsaverageyield，anditsaveragerequirements，withanaccuracythatthemostpainstakingEnglishofficialcanseldomhopetoattainto。Theyhadastronginterestinrepresentingthingstobeworsethantheywere；forthemoreintensethescarcity，thegreaterthemeritincollectingtheland-tax。Everyconsultationisfilledwiththeirapprehensionsandhighly-colouredaccountsofthepublicdistress；butitdoesnotappearthattheconvictionenteredthemindsoftheCouncilduringthepreviouswintermonths，thatthequestionwasnotsomuchoneofrevenueasofdepopulation。“Infact，thelocalofficershadcried“Wolf！“toooften。Governmentwasslowtobelievethem，andannouncedthatnothingbettercouldbeexpectedthantheadoptionofagenerouspolicytowardthoselandholderswhomthelossofharvesthadrenderedunabletopaytheirland-tax。Butveryfewindulgencesweregranted，andthetaxwasnotdiminished，butonthecontrarywas，inthemonthofApril，1770，increasedbytenpercentforthefollowingyear。ThecharacteroftheBengalipeoplemustalsobetakenintotheaccountinexplainingthisstrangeactiononthepartofthegovernment。 “FromthefirstappearanceofLowerBengalinhistory，itsinhabitantshavebeenreticent，self-contained，distrustfulofforeignobservation，inadegreewithoutparallelamongotherequallycivilizednations。Thecauseofthistaciturnitywillafterwardsbeclearlyexplained；butnoonewhoisacquaintedeitherwiththepastexperiencesorthepresentconditionofthepeoplecanbeignorantofitsresults。Localofficialsmaywritealarmingreports，buttheirapprehensionsseemtobecontradictedbytheapparentquietthatprevails。Outward，palpableproofsofsufferingareoftenwhollywanting；andevenwhen，asin1770，suchproofsabound，thereisgenerallynolackofevidenceontheotherside。TheBengalibearsexistencewithacomposurethatneitheraccidentnorchancecanruffle。Hebecomessilentlyrichoruncomplaininglypoor。Theemotionalpartofhisnatureisinstrictsubjection，hisresentmentenduringbutunspoken，hisgratitudeofthesortthatsilentlydescendsfromgenerationtogeneration。The。passionforprivacyreachesitsclimaxinthedomesticrelations。Anouterapartment，ineventhehumblesthouseholds，issetapartforstrangersandthetransactionofbusiness，buteverythingbehinditisamystery。Themostintimatefrienddoesnotventuretomakethosecommonplacekindlyinquiriesaboutaneighbour’swifeordaughterwhichEuropeancourtesydemandsfrommereacquaintances。Thisfamilyprivacyismaintainedatanyprice。Duringthefamineof1866itwasfoundimpossibletorenderpubliccharityavailabletothefemalemembersoftherespectableclasses，andmanyaruralhouseholdstarvedslowlytodeathwithoututteringacomplaintormakingasign。 “Allthroughthestiflingsummerof1770thepeoplewentondying。Thehusbandmensoldtheircattle；theysoldtheirimplementsofagriculture；theydevouredtheirseed-grain；theysoldtheirsonsanddaughters，tillatlengthnobuyerofchildrencouldbefound；theyatetheleavesoftreesandthegrassofthefield；andinJune，1770，theResidentattheDurbaraffirmedthatthelivingwerefeedingonthedead。Dayandnightatorrentoffamishedanddisease-strickenwretchespouredintothegreatcities。Atanearlyperiodoftheyearpestilencehadbrokenout。InMarchwefindsmall-poxatMoorshedabad，whereitglidedthroughthevice-regalmutes，andcutoffthePrinceSyfutinhispalace。Thestreetswereblockedupwithpromiscuousheapsofthedyinganddead。Intermentcouldnotdoitsworkquickenough；eventhedogsandjackals，thepublicscavengersoftheEast，becameunabletoaccomplishtheirrevoltingwork，andthemultitudeofmangledandfesteringcorpsesatlengththreatenedtheexistenceofthecitizens……In1770，therainyseasonbroughtrelief，andbeforetheendofSeptembertheprovincereapedanabundantharvest。Butthereliefcametoolatetoavertdepopulation。Starvingandshelterlesscrowdscrawleddespairinglyfromonedesertedvillagetoanotherinavainsearchforfood，oraresting-placeinwhichtohidethemselvesfromtherain。Theepidemicsincidenttotheseasonwerethusspreadoverthewholecountry；and，untilthecloseoftheyear，diseasecontinuedsoprevalentastoformasubjectofcommunicationfromthegovernmentinBengaltotheCourtofDirectors。Millionsoffamishedwretchesdiedinthestruggletolivethroughthefewinterveningweeksthatseparatedthemfromtheharvest，theirlastgazebeingprobablyfixedonthedensely-coveredfieldsthatwouldripenonlyalittletoolateforthem……Threemonthslater，anotherbountifulharvest，thegreatrice-cropoftheyear，wasgatheredin。AbundancereturnedtoBengalassuddenlyasfaminehadswoopeddownuponit，andinreadingsomeofthemanuscriptrecordsofDecemberitisdifficulttorealizethatthescenesoftheprecedingtenmonthshavenotbeenhideousphantasmagoriaoralong，troubleddream。 OnChristmaseve，theCouncilinCalcuttawrotehometotheCourtofDirectorsthatthescarcityhadentirelyceased，and，incredibleasitmayseem，thatunusualplentyhadreturned…… Sogeneroushadbeentheharvestthatthegovernmentproposedatoncetolayinitsmilitarystoresfortheensuingyear，andexpectedtoobtainthemataverycheaprate。“ SuchsuddentransitionsfromthedepthsofmiserytothemostexuberantplentyarebynomeansrareinthehistoryofAsia，wherethevariouscentresofcivilizationare，inaneconomicalsense，soisolatedfromeachotherthatthewelfareofthepopulationisnearlyalwaysabsolutelydependentontheirregular:andapparentlycapriciousbountyofnature。Forthethreeyearsfollowingthedreadfulmiseryabovedescribed，harvestsofunprecedentedabundanceweregatheredin。Yethowinadequatetheyweretorepairthefearfuldamagewroughtbysixmonthsofstarvation，thehistoryofthenextquarterofacenturytooplainlyreveals。“Plentyhadindeedreturned，“saysourannalist，“butithadreturnedtoasilentanddesertedprovince。“TheextentofthedepopulationistoourWesternimaginationsalmostincredible。Duringthosesixmonthsofhorror，morethanTENMILLIONSofpeoplehadperished！ItwasasiftheentirepopulationofourthreeorfourlargestStates——man，woman，andchild——weretobeutterlysweptawaybetweennowandnextAugust，leavingtheregionbetweentheHudsonandLakeMichiganasquietanddeathlikeastheburiedstreetsofPompeii。Yettheestimateisbaseduponmostaccurateandtrustworthyofficialreturns；andMr。Huntermaywellsaythat“itrepresentsanaggregateofindividualsufferingwhichnoEuropeannationhasbeencalledupontocontemplatewithinhistorictimes。“ Thisunparalleledcalamitystruckdownimpartiallytherichandthepoor。Theold，aristocraticfamiliesofLowerBengalwereirretrievablyruined。TheRajahofBurdwan，whosepossessionsweresovastthat，travelasfarashewould，healwayssleptunderaroofofhisownandwithinhisownjurisdiction，diedinsuchindigencethathissonhadtomeltdownthefamilyplateandbegaloanfromthegovernmentinordertodischargehisfather’sfuneralexpenses。Andourauthorgivesothersimilarinstances。 Thewealthynativeswhowereappointedtoassessandcollecttheinternalrevenue，beingunabletoraisethesumsrequiredbythegovernment，wereinmanycasesimprisoned，ortheirestateswereconfiscatedandre-letinordertodischargethedebt。 Forfifteenyearsthedepopulationwentonincreasing。Thechildreninacommunity，requiringmostnourishmenttosustaintheiractivity，arethosewhosoonestsuccumbtofamine。“Until1785，“saysourauthor，“theolddiedoffwithouttherebeinganyrisinggenerationtostepintotheirplaces。“Fromlackofcultivators，onethirdofthesurfaceofBengalfelloutoftillageandbecamewasteland。Thelandedproprietorsbeganeach“toenticeawaythetenantsofhisneighbour，byofferingprotectionagainstjudicialproceedings，andfarmsatverylowrents。“Thedisputesanddeadlyfeudswhicharosefromthispracticewere，perhaps，theleastfataloftheevilresultswhichflowedfromit。Forthecompetitionwentonuntil，thetenantsobtainingtheirholdingsathalf-rates，theresidentcultivators——whohadoncebeenthewealthiestfarmersinthecountry——werenolongerabletocompleteonsuchterms。Theybegantosell，lease，ordeserttheirproperty，migratingtolessafflictedregions，orflyingtothehillsonthefrontiertoadoptasavagelife。But，inaclimatelikethatofNortheasternIndia，ittakesbutlittletimetotransformatractofuntilledlandintoformidablewilderness。Whenthefunctionsofsocietyareimpeded，natureisswifttoassertitsclaims。Andaccordingly，in1789，“LordCornwallisafterthreeyears’ vigilantinquiry，pronouncedonethirdofthecompany’sterritoriesinBengaltobeajungle，inhabitedonlybywildbeasts。“ OntheWesternfrontierofBeerbhoomthestateofaffairswas，perhaps，mostcalamitous。In1776，fouracresoutofeverysevenremaineduntilled。Thoughinearliertimesthisdistricthadbeenafavouritehighwayforarmies，bytheyear1780ithadbecomeanalmostimpassablejungle。AsmallcompanyofSepoys，whichinthatyearbyheroicexertionsforceditswaythrough，wasobligedtotraverse120milesoftracklessforest，swarmingwithtigersandblackshaggybears。In1789thisjungle“continuedsodenseastoshutoffallcommunicationbetweenthetwomostimportanttowns，andtocausethemailstobecarriedbyacircuitoffiftymilesthroughanotherdistrict。“ Suchastateofthingsitisdifficultforustorealize；butthemonotonoustaleofdisasterandsufferingisnotyetcomplete。 Beerbhoomwas，toallintentsandpurposes，givenovertotigers。 “Abeltofjungle，filledwithwildbeasts，formedroundeachvillage。“Atnightfallthehungryanimalsmadetheirdreadedincursionscarryingawaycattle，andevenwomenandchildren，anddevouringthem。“Theofficialrecordsfrequentlyspeakofthemail-bagbeingcarriedoffbywildbeasts。“Sogreatwasthedamagedonebythesedepredations，that“thecompanyofferedarewardforeachtiger’shead，sufficienttomaintainapeasant’sfamilyincomfortforthreemonths；anitemofexpenditureitdeemedsonecessary，that，whenunderextraordinarypressureithadtosuspendallpayments，thetiger-moneyanddietallowanceforprisonerswerethesoleexceptionstotherule。“Stillmoreformidablefoeswerefoundintheherdsofwildelephants，whichcametroopingalongintherearofthedevastationcausedbythefamine。Inthecourseofafewyearsfifty-sixvillageswerereportedasdestroyedbyelephants，andashavinglapsedintojungleinconsequence；“andanofficialreturnstatesthatfortymarket-townsthroughoutthedistricthadbeendesertedfromthesamecause。Inmanypartsofthecountrythepeasantrydidnotdaretosleepintheirhouses，lesttheyshouldbeburiedbeneaththemduringthenight。“Theseterriblebeastscontinuedtoinfesttheprovinceaslateas1810。