The timeline of major famines in India prior to 1765 covers major famines recorded in India between 1900 BC and 1765 AD. The famines included here span the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, currently comprising the Republic of India, Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The year 1765 is chosen as the end date as that was the start of the colonial period.
Timeline +Chronological list of famines in India between 1900 BC and 1765 AD Year Area affected Mortality (if known)Between 1900 BC and 1300 BCHarappan civilizationUnknownBetween 1100 BC and 500 BCVedic kingdomsUnknown500s BCNorthern IndiaUnknownBetween 500 BC and 322 BCNorthern IndiaUnknownBetween 322 BC and 297 BCMagadhaUnknown269 BCKalinga100,000+Between 200 BC and 1 ADIndian subcontinent9,000,000Between 1 AD and 200 ADIndian subcontinent1,000,000Between 200 and 400Indian subcontinent13,000,000600sThanjavur, Tamil NaduUnknown700sIndian subcontinent7,000,000800sIndian subcontinent5,000,000917–918KashmirUnknown1054Thanjavur, Tamil NaduUnknown1335–1342Delhi2,000+1396-1407South IndiaUnknown1396-1407DeccanUnknown1460DeccanUnknown1509Bangalore (to possible Coromandel Coast)Unknown1520Deccan to South IndiaUnknown1521Malabar Coast, AfghanistanUnknown1525-26Gujarat, MultanUnknown1528AhmednagarUnknown1534KashmirUnknown1539-40CambayUnknown1540-42SindhUnknown1544ParavaUnknown1550 (roughly)Kollam, PunjabUnknown1555-56DelhiUnknown1557CochinUnknown1564GoaUnknown1570 (roughly)Cambay, Fishery Coast, Tamil Nadu, GoaUnknown1572SirhindUnknown1574-75Gujarat, Bengal, Bihar, Scarcity in UPUnknown1576KashmirUnknown1577Kutch, PunjabUnknown1578BikanerUnknown1591GoaUnknown1595-98Punjab, DoabUnknown1613Udaipur Hill TractsUnknown1614-16Doab, Mewar (only 1614, roughly)Unknown1616-17KashmirUnknown1618-19Southern Mughal Empire, CoromandelUnknown1619GoaUnknown1622South East India (since 1620)Unknown1626Fishery CoastUnknown1628MasulipatamUnknown1629-32DeccanUnknown1630Entire India 7,400,000+1631Entire India (continuation from 1630)1632-3Entire India (continued from 1630)1635Northern IndiaUnknown1636South-East India, PunjabUnknown1640-41Central India, South-East IndiaUnknown1641 (or 1642)KashmirUnknown1642East Coast of IndiaUnknown1644Madurai to Coromandel CoastUnknown1646-48 (till 1647 in Madurai to Coromandel Coast)Madurai to Coromandel Coast, PunjabUnknown1647Agra to AhmedabadUnknown1648-49Madurai to Coromandel CoastUnknown1649GoaUnknown1650-51North-Central IndiaUnknown1651KashmirUnknown1658-61Northwest to East IndiaUnknown1659-61South-East IndiaUnknown1661Central North India, MewarUnknown1662-63Eastern BengalUnknown1663-64Punjab to Gujarat, South-East IndiaUnknown1665JaipurUnknown1669-70BombayUnknown1670-71Bihar, Bengal100,000+1671-73Deccan (Bombay Karanatak)Unknown1673-75Madurai to Gingee, GujaratUnknown1678Marwar, MaduraiUnknown1681Negapatnam, MarwarUnknown1682AhmedabadUnknown1685-6 (only 1685 in Kashmir)Kashmir, Southern IndiaUnknown1685-1689South-East India, Deccan (only 1687), Golconda (1685-1687)Unknown1688Mandi state, Delhi (possibly)Unknown1690GujaratUnknown1694-1697 (till 1695 in Gujarat to Rajasthan, till 1697 in Coromandel Coast, 1696–7 in Marwar to North Gujarat)Coromandel Coast, Gujarat to Rajasthan, Marwar to North GujaratUnknown1699-1700SataraUnknown1702-1704DeccanUnknown1703Thurr and Parker, SindhUnknown1705-1707 (only 1705 in Marwar)Deccan, MarwarUnknown1708-1709Southern IndiaUnknown1710-1712Calcutta, East CoastUnknown1711-12 (only 1711 in Jaipur)Jaipur, Coromandel CoastUnknown1713Osmanabad (possibly to Nanded)Unknown1716JaipurUnknown1717-1720 (only till 1719 in Gujarat)Madras to Madurai, GujaratUnknown1721-1723Canavay, MysoreUnknown1723-24 (possibly Gujarat in 1723)Kashmir, Gujarat (possibly)Unknown1727-1728Tamil NaduUnknown1729South-West India, Coromandel CoastUnknown1730LudhianaUnknown1731-1732 (only 1731 in Coromandel Coast and Kashmir)Gujarat, Coromandel Coast to Orissa, KashmirUnknown1733-1736Madras (extended to South-East India by 1734)Unknown1737-1738East Coast, Malwa to AhmedabadUnknown1738Coromandel Coast to Tanjore (since 1737), BengalUnknown1739DelhiUnknown1741Eastern Tamil NaduUnknown1742-43GujaratUnknown1745Kashmir, Nara area in Sindh (till 1752)Unknown1746-1747Gujarat, Rajasthan, Coromandel Coast, Mysore, OsmanabadUnknown1750 (or 1751)BellaryUnknown1751East GujaratUnknown1752-1755South-West SindhUnknown1753-54Rohtak (in Haryana)Unknown1754KashmirUnknown1755Kashmir, South-East Tamil Nadu (till 1756)Unknown1756Gujarat, Marwar, AdoniUnknown1757KutchUnknown1758PunjabUnknown1759-1761Punjab (since 1758), Kutch to Sindh (till 1760), east Tamil Nadu (till 1760)Unknown1761Bengal, Mewat, parts of RajasthanUnknown1762MultanUnknown1763Mewar, RajasthanUnknown1765KashmirUnknown
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