ThroughouttheentirecourseofrecordedEuropeanhistory，fromtheremotetimesofwhichtheHomericpoemspreservethedimtraditiondowntothepresentmoment，therehasoccurrednocalamityatoncesosuddenandofsuchappallingmagnitudeasthefaminewhichinthespringandsummerof1770nearlyexterminatedtheancientcivilizationofBengal。ItpresentsthataspectofpreternaturalvastnesswhichcharacterizesthecontinentofAsiaandallthatconcernsit。TheBlackDeathofthefourteenthcenturywas，perhaps，themostfearfulvisitationwhichhaseverafflictedtheWesternworld。ButintheconcentratedmiserywhichitoccasionedtheBengalfaminesurpassedit，evenastheHimalayasdwarfbycomparisonthehighestpeaksofSwitzerland。
Itis，moreover，thekeytothehistoryofBengalduringthenextfortyyears；andassuch，merits，fromaneconomicalpointofview，closerattentionthanithashithertoreceived。
LowerBengalgathersinthreeharvestseachyear；inthespring，intheearlyautumn，andinDecember，thelastbeingthegreatrice-crop，theharvestonwhichthesustenanceofthepeopledepends。Throughtheyear1769therewasgreatscarcity，owingtothepartialfailureofthecropsof1768，butthespringrainsappearedtopromiserelief，andinspiteofthewarningappealsofprovincialofficers，thegovernmentwasslowtotakealarm，andcontinuedrigorouslytoenforcetheland-tax。ButinSeptembertherainssuddenlyceased。Throughouttheautumnthereruledaparchingdrought；andtherice-fields，accordingtothedescriptionofanativesuperintendentofBishenpore，“becamelikefieldsofdriedstraw。“Nevertheless，thegovernmentatCalcuttamade——withonelamentableexception，hereaftertobenoticed——nolegislativeattempttomeettheconsequencesofthisdangerousconditionofthings。Theadministrationoflocalaffairswasstill，atthatdate，intrustedtonativeofficials。
ThewholeinternalregulationwasinthehandsofthefamousMuhamadRezaEhan。HinduorMussulmanassessorspriedintoeverybarnandshrewdlyestimatedtheprobabledimensionsofthecropsoneveryfield；andthecourts，aswellasthepolice，werestillinnativehands。“Thesemen，“saysourauthor，“knewthecountry，itscapabilities，itsaverageyield，anditsaveragerequirements，withanaccuracythatthemostpainstakingEnglishofficialcanseldomhopetoattainto。Theyhadastronginterestinrepresentingthingstobeworsethantheywere；forthemoreintensethescarcity，thegreaterthemeritincollectingtheland-tax。Everyconsultationisfilledwiththeirapprehensionsandhighly-colouredaccountsofthepublicdistress；butitdoesnotappearthattheconvictionenteredthemindsoftheCouncilduringthepreviouswintermonths，thatthequestionwasnotsomuchoneofrevenueasofdepopulation。“Infact，thelocalofficershadcried“Wolf！“toooften。Governmentwasslowtobelievethem，andannouncedthatnothingbettercouldbeexpectedthantheadoptionofagenerouspolicytowardthoselandholderswhomthelossofharvesthadrenderedunabletopaytheirland-tax。Butveryfewindulgencesweregranted，andthetaxwasnotdiminished，butonthecontrarywas，inthemonthofApril，1770，increasedbytenpercentforthefollowingyear。ThecharacteroftheBengalipeoplemustalsobetakenintotheaccountinexplainingthisstrangeactiononthepartofthegovernment。
“FromthefirstappearanceofLowerBengalinhistory，itsinhabitantshavebeenreticent，self-contained，distrustfulofforeignobservation，inadegreewithoutparallelamongotherequallycivilizednations。Thecauseofthistaciturnitywillafterwardsbeclearlyexplained；butnoonewhoisacquaintedeitherwiththepastexperiencesorthepresentconditionofthepeoplecanbeignorantofitsresults。Localofficialsmaywritealarmingreports，buttheirapprehensionsseemtobecontradictedbytheapparentquietthatprevails。Outward，palpableproofsofsufferingareoftenwhollywanting；andevenwhen，asin1770，suchproofsabound，thereisgenerallynolackofevidenceontheotherside。TheBengalibearsexistencewithacomposurethatneitheraccidentnorchancecanruffle。Hebecomessilentlyrichoruncomplaininglypoor。Theemotionalpartofhisnatureisinstrictsubjection，hisresentmentenduringbutunspoken，hisgratitudeofthesortthatsilentlydescendsfromgenerationtogeneration。The。passionforprivacyreachesitsclimaxinthedomesticrelations。Anouterapartment，ineventhehumblesthouseholds，issetapartforstrangersandthetransactionofbusiness，buteverythingbehinditisamystery。Themostintimatefrienddoesnotventuretomakethosecommonplacekindlyinquiriesaboutaneighbour’swifeordaughterwhichEuropeancourtesydemandsfrommereacquaintances。Thisfamilyprivacyismaintainedatanyprice。Duringthefamineof1866itwasfoundimpossibletorenderpubliccharityavailabletothefemalemembersoftherespectableclasses，andmanyaruralhouseholdstarvedslowlytodeathwithoututteringacomplaintormakingasign。