PART VIII. 

 FAMINES. 



CHAPTER CXLI. 



REMARKS ON INDIAN FAMINES. 



Tj^AMINES are not to be looked upon as a novel pheno- 

 menon in India. Famines occur and have always 

 occurred, except in the most highly civilized countries of 

 modern Europe. In these countries trade and manufac- 

 tures are in such advanced state of development, that people 

 in them do not need to depend on their local agricultural 

 produce only. The yield per acre in these countries is also 

 larger and total failure of crops is prevented by the adoption 

 of scientific methods of tillage and treatment. Severe famines 

 are spoken of in most ancient historical works, and in India it 

 is the paucity of ancient historical records that makes the 

 subject of periodical failures of crops, so difficult of demon- 

 stration. Famines of long duration- are however casually 

 mentioned in many Sanskrit works, and they are spoken of 

 as the consequence of the sins of the sovereign. The tend- 

 ency of Hindus to blame the sovereign power whenever there 

 is a famine, is, therefore, quite orthodox according to their 

 notions. It is known, however, that even during the most 

 prosperous and illustrious reigns, famines have occurred. In 

 1596, in the reign of the popular Emperor Akbar, a very 



