STORAGE OF GRAIN 255 



nounced, prices rose sharply, and reached a height 

 which can be explained only on the assumption that 

 there was no grain to be had in the district. In ex- 

 treme cases the staple food of the country was enhanced 

 to more than twelve times its normal price. An 

 example of such an extreme rise will be found in the 

 price-lists from Chinsurah, which record that, from a 

 normal level of 40 seers per rupee, the price of coarse 

 rice in 1770 rose to 3^ seers per rupee{videCha.pterXll.). 



In the extracts which follow there will be found 

 evidence that the people themselves frequently be- 

 lieved that there were large stores of grain in the 

 country, but that they were held back by rapacious 

 grain-dealers. This is a cry which is always raised 

 at the time of great scarcity, and it will appear from 

 the extracts that it was believed by the English 

 officials. But it happens that the credibility of this 

 popular cry was on one occasion thoroughly tested. 

 In the Orissa famine of 1866 the district officers were 

 imposed upon by the current belief in large stores of 

 grain, and advised against the import of rice from out- 

 side. On examination it was found that the stores 

 had been grossly exaggerated, and the province 

 suffered severely for want of that rice which the local 

 officers were averse to importing. The Commission 

 which examined into the origin and conduct of the 

 Orissa famine came to the conclusion that the popular 

 belief in hoards of grain was not worthy of credence. 



The evidence for these assertions will be found in 

 the history of three famines I have selected for ex- 

 amination. 



1783-84. — This terrible famine occurred in Sambat, 

 1840, and hence it was known as the 'Chalisa.' It ex- 

 tended from the Karamnasa to beyond the Sutlej, an d 

 included Behar Oudh, the Province of Agra, a great 

 part of the Panjab, and most of the Central India 

 States. It long survived in rural tradition as one of 

 the very greatest famines, and served as an epoch in 



