igio] British Rule in India. 93 



canal up out of the valley of the river unto the high land and in some 

 cases even across the watershed. The river works are by far the most 

 important in India and all the great rivers in northern India except the 

 Brahmaputra are utilized. They all rise in the great Himalayan moun- 

 tains region to the north of India and are fed by the eternal snows; there 

 is thus always a supply of water available. In this way a very large part 

 of the Punjab and parts of the United Provinces have been irrigated, so 

 that in these areas the danger of famine has almost disappeared. 

 One of the largest canals is the Chenab and it irrigates 2,000,000 acres, 

 while the total number of acres irrigated over the whole of India amounted 

 to more than 14,000,000 acres in 1902 and the area has been very much 

 increased in recent years. 



Under native rule there was little thought for and no effective 

 means of remedial action, but then primitive transport could not enter 

 fodderless and roadless country and so broke down when most required 

 by those who wanted to send in food. The East India Co. by degrees 

 introduced systematic relief but it was not until India passed under the 

 crown that the modern view of the responsibility of the state was reached. 

 In 1868 the famous order was issued that every district ofificer would be 

 held personally responsible that no deaths occurred from starvation, 

 which could have been avoided by any exertion on his part or that of 

 his subordinates. Then from the experience gained from famine relief 

 the policy assumed its final shape in the declaration made by the sec- 

 retary of State in 1877 as follows: — The object of saving life is undoubt- 

 edly paramount to all other considerations but it is essential in the pur- 

 suit of that policy, your officers should sedulously guard against the dan- 

 ger of inducing the population to rely upon Government aid rather than 

 upon their own industry and thrift. In the interests of the distressed 

 population itself and the taxpayer generally, you are bound to adopt 

 precautions against indolence and imposition so far as the circumstances 

 of India will permit, to those with which in this country it has always 

 been found necessary to protect the distribution of public relief. 



This has been the great aim of all relief administrations ever since. 

 It is the problem of how to guide the bark between the rock of distress and 

 the whirlpool of demoralization. The principle is briefly that Govern- 

 ment does not give relief without work. In times of famine the Govern- 

 ment opens out what are called relief works. These are the building of 

 canals, railways or other public works, that require to be built in that 

 section. They may not be urgently needed but they would be of ma- 

 terial benefit to the country to have them constructed. In famine all 

 who are in need of work and are physically fit whether man, woman or 

 child can go there and get work. The pay is just sufficient to keep them 



