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Deccan Famine of 1630-1632

Agricultural Famines and Disasters

The Deccan Famine of 1630-1632 struck the Deccan Plateau, Khandesh and Gujarat during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, following three consecutive staple-crop failures that brought on plague, mass hunger, disease and displacement across the affected sultanates and Mughal territories. The famine was worsened by ongoing military campaigns in the region, and contemporary estimates describe roughly three million deaths in Gujarat alone in the ten months ending in October 1631, with another million dead around Ahmednagar, making it one of the most devastating famines recorded in Indian history.

Facts
Milestone Year
1630 1
When
Began with drought in 1630 and continued through 1632 1
Location
Deccan Plateau, Khandesh and Gujarat 1
Classification
Type/Classification
Agricultural Famine or Disaster 1
Connections

Associated With

Millet, Crops

Three consecutive failed monsoons destroyed staple grain harvests, including millet, across the Deccan Plateau, Gujarat and Khandesh.

Sources
1. Deccan famine of 1630-1632, Wikipedia
  • Section quoting Peter Mundy's account of the drought
    The Gujarat famine began with a drought in 1630
  • Background section, sentence on the drought onset
    The Gujarat famine began with a drought in 1630
  • Infobox, affected region field
    Deccan Plateau, Khandesh and Gujarat
  • lead description (milestone-kind)
    The Deccan Famine of 1630-1632 struck the Deccan Plateau, Khandesh and Gujarat during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, following three consecutive staple-crop failures that brought on plague, mass hunger, disease and displacement across the affected sultanates and Mughal territories.
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