The Indian Famine of 1770 is one of the greatest disasters in human history. Over ten million people, a third of the population of Bengal, died. A drought lasting 5 years, bad harvests, and cruel British rule all contributed. The British East India Company compounded the famine with heavy taxation, leading to millions of BengalisContinue reading “The Great Bengal Famine and the Boston Tea Party”
Tag Archives: Calcutta
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a Living Saint to the Poor
Most people remember Mother Teresa as a tiny, frail, Catholic nun in a white habit; her weathered face lined with deep creases. She was always seen tending to the poor, sick and dying in India, or other Third World countries, usually with an impossibly warm smile on her face. But there was so much more to this determined, faith-driven woman than just that singular image.
The Black Hole of Calcutta’s Infamous Night of Horror
In 18th century India, the power of the Mughal Empire lay in the despotic hands of the Nawabs, or provincial princes. At the same time, the British and French East India Companies had built competing empires on the lucrative sub-continent. The British had established a trading hub at Kolkata (Calcutta) and built Fort William toContinue reading “The Black Hole of Calcutta’s Infamous Night of Horror”