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The Bengal Famine of 1769 - 70 was worsened by
Explanation
The Bengal Famine of 1769-70 was a catastrophic event that resulted in the death of approximately one-third of Bengal's population [2]. While the primary cause was the failure of rains and subsequent crop failure, the severity of the famine was significantly worsened by the administrative and economic policies of the East India Company [2]. Following the acquisition of Diwani rights, the Company's agents extracted maximum revenue from the province . Despite the agricultural distress, the Company maintained harsh revenue collection targets, requiring farmers to pay high rates of cash taxes regardless of harvest conditions . This rigid taxation system, combined with the 'drain of wealth' and the abuses of the Dual Government system, exhausted the province's resources and left the population with no reserves to survive the food shortage [2].
Sources
- [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > Devastating famines > p. 95