The “Chhappaniya Famine” (Famine of 56) was the most devastating famine in the history of Rajasthan—or the Thar region—which occurred in 1898. Because it fell during Vikram Samvat 1956, it is known as the “Chhappaniya Famine”. Globally, this famine is known as the “Great Indian Famine of 1899”. It is believed that during this disaster, one million people in Rajasthan alone died due to hunger.
Even today, the horrors of this famine are vividly described in local folklore, and are reflected in the daily lives of the people. According to an estimate published in the *Imperial Gazetteer of India* in 1908, this famine left one million people in British India alone—that is, in the areas directly ruled by the British Raj—victims of hunger and related diseases. Some historians believe the actual death toll was much higher, including in Rajasthan; This number may have been about 25 percent of the total population of the region at that time—that is, 40 to 45 lakh people. Additionally, this figure does not include deaths due to drought in the various princely states and kingdoms that existed during that period. So, join us in today’s video, where we delve deeper into the story of the “Chhappaniya Famine”—one of history’s most horrific chapters.
The Thar Desert, located in Rajasthan, is the 17th largest desert in the world, and the 9th largest hot desert globally. This is an area of Rajasthan where nature is very less kind. While there is almost no rainfall throughout the desert, the region faces another challenge: the complete absence of any perennial rivers as a source of water. As a result, the entire region is completely dependent on rainfall to meet its water needs. Historically, Rajasthan has experienced a “semi-drought” every three years and a severe drought every eight years; However, the “Chhappaniya famine” came as if the clouds had sworn that they would never rain again. The “Chhappaniya Famine” devastated the land of Rajasthan and its people—and their morale—so badly that local residents were ultimately forced to feed their cattle. The *Chhappaniya famine* began with the failure of the summer monsoon in 1899 in western and central India. The very next year, it brought unbearable suffering to the lives of more than 60 million people living in a vast area spread over 476,000 square miles. Initially, the impact of this devastating drought was felt in central and northern India, including the Bombay Presidency, the small province of Ajmer-Merwara, and Hisar district of Punjab. However, the princely states of Rajasthan were most affected by this disaster. This drought caused maximum devastation in areas of Rajasthan like Nagaur, Marwar, Mewar, Kathiawar, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Barmer and Jaisalmer. Due to drought, Rajasthan faced severe shortage of food and water, which brought trade between the princely states to a standstill. As a result, the number of deaths due to starvation increased drastically.
In 1899, the average rainfall in many parts of northern India had dropped from 45 inches to just 11 inches. During this period, not a single drop of rain fell in a large area of Rajasthan throughout the year. In Rajasthan—a region highly dependent on monsoon-based agriculture—farmers were unable to sow their crops due to lack of rain. As a result, not a single grain of grain was produced, nor was fodder available for cattle. In areas that depended on rainwater harvesting for drinking water supply, acute shortage of drinking water forced people to migrate on a large scale. The famine situation became so dire that people started stealing grains and water from each other’s houses. The pain of this devastation can be gauged from the fact that at that time, people were forced to sell even their wives and children in exchange for food grains. This heart-wrenching and tragic scene was seen in every corner of Rajasthan. During the famine, on one hand, people were dying of dehydration due to lack of drinking water, while on the other, people and cattle migrating to the desert – amid scorching temperatures of 50-52 degrees Celsius – were dying of hunger and thirst along the way. Dying a slow and painful death amid the ravages of famine, the people were forced to eat bread made from grass, hunt snakes and lizards, and grind dry bark from trees. The severity of the famine was so great that some people, fed up with hunger, even resorted to cannibalism (eating human flesh).
*Chhappaniya* The devastation caused by the famine was so severe that, due to hunger and lack of water, every bone in people’s bodies became clearly visible beneath their skin. People became so weak that they needed physical support even to walk or stand upright; To make this easier, almost every house had wooden poles driven into the ground. In Rajasthan, the practice of “staking” involves driving long wooden poles into the ground, providing a strong base on which people can lean, stand, walk, and perform daily tasks. With food in short supply, people were forced to survive by eating every other day; However, the calamity did not end here. The situation became so bad that, facing starvation, people were forced to eat first the seeds of *cucumber* and *matira* (wild melon varieties); When these too were exhausted, they ate the bark of the trees; And when drought took away this resource too, they started eating wild berries, various kinds of wild herbs and thorny bushes. Ultimately, a
The situation reached such a level that even the few resources available within a few miles around the settlements were completely destroyed. With no other option, people had to grind the remaining seeds of wild berries into powder and mix it with water to drink. When every other means of survival was exhausted, they started eating boiled dry grass. The specter of famine left such a deep impression on the common people that, deprived of both food and water, the blood in their veins gradually dried up.
This famine devastated not only the common people but also the kings and maharajas of Rajputana.
They were struggling. Many kings of Rajputana took many famine relief measures to save their subjects from this terrible calamity, the most important of which was the provision of free food. In addition, the princely states established shelters for their subjects at various places, where the hungry could get food and save their lives. However, due to limited means of transportation and lack of means of communication, aid did not fully reach those in need. As a result of these relief efforts, the treasury of many rulers of Rajputana was emptied, and they fell into debt. During that period, relief camps were opened to provide relief to people affected by famine even in areas under British rule; However, the relief given there was very little – almost non-existent.
Ultimately, even the forces of nature had to bow before the indomitable courage of the people of Marudhara; After a long gap, the monsoons finally arrived in the month of *Jeth*. As clouds began to gather over the desert, some people’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as they realized that a long tragedy was finally over; Others had tears in their eyes as they remembered what they had suffered – or what they had done – during this terrible period. For years, our ancestors faced the horrors of famine with unmatched courage and intelligence, and navigated their lives and those of their loved ones with great care and perseverance through these tumultuous times. For people watching this video sitting in air-conditioned rooms today, it is impossible to imagine the intensity of pain and suffering endured by our ancestors.
Nevertheless, this famine badly damaged the social and economic fabric of life of our ancestors, and significantly promoted caste-based discrimination in the society. During this famine, many artisan and weaver communities were forced to abandon their traditional crafts due to starvation; They fell into debt and, over time, reached the status of bonded labourers. These communities also included the ‘Balai Vankar’ caste, whose social status declined particularly drastically. Additionally, thousands of people migrated from Rajasthan to Malwa and other remote places to survive. Learning from this devastating famine, the kings and maharajas of Rajasthan, the British government and the common people implemented various measures to ensure that they or their future generations never had to face such a calamity again. After recovering from this famine, the people of Rajasthan gained so much strength and courage that they could face any famine or natural disaster in the world. Due to this terrible famine, many people of Rajasthan left their homes and families and started settling in other parts of India.
Through their hard work and unwavering dedication, these people demonstrated such extraordinary ability that their reputation – collectively known as ‘Marwari’ – became widely known and respected throughout the country. To prevent such famines from occurring again in the future, many canals, reservoirs and public infrastructure were built. In addition, several comprehensive plans for the future were also made; These included increasing grain production, importing ‘red wheat’ from the United States, distributing essential commodities such as red sorghum, red wheat and fodder through a permit system, initiating the Green Revolution, reforming the Indian agricultural system and improving the quality of seeds used for sowing, and maintaining excess stocks in grain warehouses as well as expanding road and rail transport networks.
So, this was the story of *Chhappaniya famine*. Thank you for watching this video. If you liked it, please do let us know your thoughts by commenting, subscribe to the channel, like the video and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family.
