Book contents
- The Cambridge Economic History of Modern South Asia
- The Cambridge Economic History of Modern South Asia
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors to Part 1
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction to Part 1
- 2 Regions, States and Economies in Transition, 1750–1850
- 3 The Colonial Origins of India’s Service Sector Advantage
- 4 Agriculture
- 5 Industry
- 6 Small-Scale Industries
- 7 Trade and Finance
- 8 Business History
- 9 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 10 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 11 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 12 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 13 Political Economy
- 14 Law and the Economy
- 15 Infrastructure
- 16 Infrastructure
- 17 Population and Health
- 18 Education
- 19 Women, Wives and Workers
- 20 Labour
- 21 Internal Migration, c. 1850–2020
- 22 Colonial Cities and Urbanization
- 23 The Environment and the Economy
- 24 Princely States
- Transition to Part 2
- Index
- References
17 - Population and Health
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2026
Book contents
- The Cambridge Economic History of Modern South Asia
- The Cambridge Economic History of Modern South Asia
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors to Part 1
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction to Part 1
- 2 Regions, States and Economies in Transition, 1750–1850
- 3 The Colonial Origins of India’s Service Sector Advantage
- 4 Agriculture
- 5 Industry
- 6 Small-Scale Industries
- 7 Trade and Finance
- 8 Business History
- 9 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 10 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 11 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 12 Regional Patterns of Economic Change
- 13 Political Economy
- 14 Law and the Economy
- 15 Infrastructure
- 16 Infrastructure
- 17 Population and Health
- 18 Education
- 19 Women, Wives and Workers
- 20 Labour
- 21 Internal Migration, c. 1850–2020
- 22 Colonial Cities and Urbanization
- 23 The Environment and the Economy
- 24 Princely States
- Transition to Part 2
- Index
- References
Summary
The chapter, along with a discussion on India’s population size, and estimates of mortality based on the decennial censuses from 1872 to 1951, reviews at length the factors that explain virtual stagnation in population size during most of the decades. Lack of growth in India’s population from 1872 to 1921 was a result of high mortality due to the spread of epidemics such as cholera, plague and malaria. Their etiology and spread were not fully understood. As a result, the measures taken by the British Raj could not bring deaths under control. Also, recurrent famines – widespread or localized – caused food shortages that resulted in starvation deaths and the spread of water-borne infections during post-famine periods when rains arrived. The period between 1921 and 1951 witnessed modest population growth and the onset of slow but steady decline in death rates. The decline is attributed to control over famines, mass vaccination against smallpox, some improvement in sanitation and an increase in health facilities, mostly in urban areas. However, malaria and diarrheal diseases continued to take a heavy toll when India became independent in 1947.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Economic History of Modern South Asia , pp. 319 - 339Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
References
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