Name of famine |
Period |
Affected Territory |
Mortality |
Great Bengal Famine |
1769–70 |
Bihar, Northern and Central Bengal |
10 million(about one third of the then population of Bengal). |
Madras famine |
1782–83 |
Madras cityand surrounding areas Kingdom of Mysore |
|
Chalisa famine |
1783–84 |
Delhi, Western Oudh, Eastern Punjab region, Rajputana, and Kashmir |
Severe famine. Large areas were depopulated. Up to 11 million people may have died during the years 1782–84. |
Doji barafamineor Skull famine |
1791–92 |
Hyderabad, Southern Maratha country, Deccan, Gujarat, andMarwar |
One of the most severe famines known. People died in such numbers that they could not be cremated or buried. It is thought that 11 million people may have died during the years 1788–94. |
Agra famine |
1837–38 |
Central Doab and trans-Jumna districts of the North-Western Provinces (later Agra Province), including Delhi and Hissar |
800,000. |
Upper Doab famine |
1860–61 |
Upper Doab of Agra; Delhi and Hissar divisions of the Punjab, Eastern Rajputana |
2 million. |
Orissa famine |
1865–67 |
Orissa (also 1867) and Bihar; Bellary and Ganjam districts of Madras |
1 million (814,469 in Orissa, 135,676 in Bihar and 10,898 in Ganjam) |
Rajputana famine |
1868–70 |
Ajmer, Western Agra, Eastern Punjab, Rajputana |
1.5 million (mostly in the princely states of Rajputana) |
Bihar famine |
1873–74 |
Bihar |
There were little to none significant mortalities during the famine. |
Great Famine of 1876–78 |
1876–78 |
Madras and Bombay Mysore and Hyderabad |
5.5 million in British territory. Mortality unknown for princely states. Total famine mortality estimates vary from 6.1 to 10.3 million. |
Not named |
1888–89 |
Ganjam, Orissa and North Bihar |
150,000 deaths in Ganjam. Deaths were due to starvation as famine relief was not provided in time. |
Indian famine |
1896–97 |
Madras, Bombay Deccan, Bengal, United Provinces, Central Provinces, Northern and eastern Rajputana, parts of Central India and Hyderabad |
5 million in British territory. |
Indian famine |
1899–1900 |
Bombay, Central Provinces, Berar, Ajmer, Hyderabad, Rajputana, Central India, Baroda, Kathiawar, Cutch |
1 million (in British territories). Mortality unknown for princely states. |
Not named |
1905–06 |
Bombay, Bundelkhand |
235,062 in Bombay (of which 28,369 attributed to Cholera). Mortality unknown for Bundelkhand. |
Bengal famine |
1943–44 |
Bengal |
1.5 million from starvation; 3.5 million including deaths from epidemics. |