Disaster, society, and administration: the Midnapore and Burdwan Cyclone of 1874 in Bengal, India

Abstract

Coastal Bengal is one of the most vulnerable territories in India due to its periodic exposure to severe cyclonic storms. In this context, it is noteworthy that during the second half of the nineteenth century, cyclonic appearances in Bengal became more frequent. Official records reveal that devastating cyclones ravaged this province in 1850, 1851, 1864, 1867, 1869, 1874, 1876, 1885, and 1897. However, in 1874, the intensity of the storm and the height of the storm wave were extremely high. Never before had such a severe cyclone, which became known as the Midnapore and Burdwan Cyclone, struck this province. The present article tells the story of this cyclone in the Bengal Province from a historical perspective. The discussion deals mainly with two subjects. First, it briefly analyses the formation and progress of the 1874 cyclone and its landfall in Bengal. The article shows how the violence of the associated wind force and high storm waves affected the province. In this context, the article examines both the physical and human impacts of the cyclone and addresses the crises that resulted in society. The discussion that I then take up looks into the issue of whether this catastrophic destruction helped generate new meteorological research in terms of developing cyclonic theories. Second, the discussion seeks to address several issues regarding what help the survivors received from the state and how the colonial administration handled the crisis. To understand these issues, not only the question of the efficiency of the government’s relief operations towards the disaster but also the attitude of the colonial state towards the recovery must be considered. All these are relevant questions in revisiting the cyclone of 1874.