1900: A Preview of the Twentieth Century - Book Report/Review Example

14 September Assignment Since the inception of the modern era, most people in the Indian nation have been engaged in the farming sector; this is because agriculture forms an important part of everyday living as well as a foundation for the manufacturing and commerce sectors of the Indian economy, and thus a country without the ability to produce and deliver to consumers will be at a loss. India faced a great famine from 1899 to 1900 which created a major setback for the country to grow and develop.

The main cause of the same was the failure of the monsoons in the summer season on which farmers are dependent; lack of technology, infrastructure and better irrigation facilities makes it impossible for Indian farmers even today to survive without the onset of rain. Moreover, farmers settle for a means of livelihood that may be much lesser than what they may be potentially able to earn. A major drought was what preceded the famine in the country and led to the demise of economics in most of the otherwise agriculturally rich areas like the Central provinces, Bihar and Bombay.

Approximately 166,000 people died because of this disaster which could not be mitigated due to the poor functioning of the government as well as lack of food grains to provide to the rural poor – the class that suffered the most. For the urban areas, the famine merely proved to be an inconvenience; the prices of basic food grains like rice and wheat shot up to such an extent that even the rich had to begin calculating their money. Even cattle were not able to survive due to the lack of food and thus farmers were caused a loss that very few countries around the world have ever experienced.

According to McAlpin, “Famines in the nineteenth century tended to be characterized by some degree of aimless wandering of agriculturalists after their own supplies of food had run out.” (Alpin, Michelle B) The short term effects of the famine brought about migration which led to the depletion of food in other areas; furthermore, people carried with them fatal diseases because of which the mortality rate reached an all time high. This may be the most difficult part for a famer – to not be aware of the seasons or any natural calamities about to strike, or not be able to sell the crops and thus every bit of hard work goes to waste.

However, the Indian government is now training farmers to be able to mitigate the effects of any forthcoming famines and droughts by providing them with seeds and manure as well as tools and equipments at subsidized prices, providing them with proper irrigation facilities as well as helping their cause with respect to marketing their produce and ensuring their secure payments. they train themselves to not let it affect them. Works CitedFarming Then and Now. (n.d.). Camp Silos. Retrieved August 16, 2012, from http://www.campsilos.org/mod4/students/life.

shtmlThe Farmers Life. (n.d.). Library Think Quest. Retrieved August 16, 2012, from http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/medfarmer.htmlAlpin, Michelle B. (1979), "Dearth, Famine, and Risk: The Changing Impact of Crop Failures in Western India, 1870–1920", The Journal of Economic History 39 (1): 143–157