Explore the gripping historical narrative of 'Hungry Bengal', a brand new publication from Hurst Publishers, ISBN 9781787389670, released in 2023. This essential read delves deep into the pivotal years leading to India's independence and the consequential partition. Bengal emerged as a critical battleground during the Indian struggle against colonial rule and played a vital role as an Allied stronghold in the fight against Japan during World War II. These events forged a distinct historical context marked by political uncertainty, social turmoil, and a deeply impactful collective violence.

Dive into the intricate socio-political fabric of pre-partition Bengal as 'Hungry Bengal' examines three major crises: the devastating Bengal famine of 1943, the catastrophic impact of the Second World War, and the harrowing Calcutta riots of 1946. This discussion is crucial for understanding the interwoven threads of hunger, warfare, and civil strife that defined the colonial era in Bengal, particularly as the British Empire faced imminent collapse.

According to History Today, acclaimed author Janam Mukherjee offers a riveting account of the Great Famine of 1943, presenting compelling arguments that highlight how famine escalated the Hindu-Muslim riots in Calcutta, ultimately leading to the tragic partition of the subcontinent. This thought-provoking exploration is essential for those interested in understanding the complex dynamics of colonial India and the legacy of its historical crises. Take a journey through a watershed moment in history with 'Hungry Bengal', ensuring you grasp the nuances of this transformative period.

*Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.*

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781787389670
Year: 2023
Publisher: Hurst Publishers


Description:


The years leading up to the independence and accompanying partition of India mark a tumultuous period in the history of Bengal. Representing both a major front in the Indian struggle against colonial rule, as well as a crucial Allied outpost in the British/American war against Japan, Bengal stood at the crossroads of complex and contentious structural forces — both domestic and international — which, taken together, defined an era of political uncertainty, social turmoil and collective violence.

While for the British the overarching priority was to save the empire from imminent collapse at any cost, for the majority of the Indian population the 1940s were years of acute scarcity, violent dislocation and enduring calamity. In particular there are three major crises that shaped the social, economic and political context of pre-partition Bengal: the Second World War, the Bengal famine of 1943, and the Calcutta riots of 1946. Hungry Bengal examines these intricately interconnected events, foregrounding the political economy of war and famine in order to analyse the complex nexus of hunger, war and civil violence in colonial Bengal at the twilight of British rule.



‘Janam Mukherjee has written an engrossing account of the most tragic event in the history of Bengal, the Great Famine of 1943 … What singles out Mukherjee’s book is his thesis that the famine was at the root of the Hindu–Muslim violence that consumed Calcutta during the Great Killings of 1946, thereby contributing to the even more cataclysmic partition of the subcontinent a year later.’ — History Today

‘Mukherjee’s great