Colonial India and Contagion

Aditi Sen
Assistant Professor, Department of History, Queen's University

In 1933, when the prince of Pakur died of bubonic plague, the case immediately became a national sensation. While the death of the prince turned out to be a carefully planned murder, the fear of plague always had larger socio-political implications. Indians had faced massive state intervention in 1896, when the plague had come to India very likely from Hong Kong. Colonial public health strategy also focused heavily on contagions like smallpox, polio, cholera and tuberculosis. So, when the Spanish Flu came in 1918, the State failed completely. Native agencies played a crucial role in fighting the flu. Aditi Sen will discuss the native attitude towards contagion, and their interaction with colonial methods. Further, she will discuss the role of Ayurveda and religion in treating diseases and how modern India is an amalgamation of all these facets.  

FREE EVENT but registration is required.