Healing From Our History (eBook)

How Colonial-Era Famines Led to A Modern South Asian Health Crisis

MD Azim Shaikh, Feras Deek, MD Mubin Syed (Autoren)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
340 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-6478-3 (ISBN)

Infos

Healing From Our History presents a clear, often shocking case of how man-made famines and systemic depopulation of South Asia during the British colonial era led to a modern health crisis among South Asians today. How with knowledge of this hidden history, South Asians can be proactive about living healthier lives. Dr. Mubin Syed, a practicing physician with six board certifications and a published health historian, details how South Asians, who make up 25% of the world population, have alarmingly high rates of heart disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. This is partly due to lifestyle choices like poor diet and lack of exercise, but there's also a growing body of evidence, some previously hidden or whitewashed, that it was the numerous and tragic colonial-era famines all over South Asia that led to modern genetic predispositions for disease. Over the 190 years that the British controlled South Asia, there were more than 25 famines that led to the death of an estimated 165 million people. South Asia was seen as an abundant territory to exploit, the population considered an obstacle to remove or disregard. Studies of children and grandchildren of famine-surviving populations show that genetic differences make them more susceptible to disease and early death. Healing From Our History shares details of the man-made famines and systematic and destructive policies and practices. It presents commentary from contemporaries who implemented the policies that taxed, subjugated, starved, imprisoned millions of people. There were people who tried to help by shedding light on the tragedies like Florence Nightingale, and Willoughby Wallace Hooper, a British photographer who took pictures of South Asians famine victims hours before they died. It was a vital attempt to document the tragedies being ignored or hidden under the British colonial-era zeal for wealth. This book is a reckoning with the past to help people and leaders deal with the current crisis.

Azim Shaikh, MD, MBA, is an Internal and Obesity Medicine specialist, and CEO of a surgical hospital. With over 20 years of collaboration, he and Dr. Mubin Syed have achieved remarkable success, including numerous publications, patents, and medical device innovations. Of South Asian heritage, Dr. Shaikh's own experience with a cardiac event at 51 deepened his commitment to exploring why South Asians are more susceptible to early-onset cardiometabolic diseases, driving his desire to research this critical health concern.

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Healing From Our History presents a clear, often shocking case of how man-made famines and systemic depopulation of South Asia during the British colonial era led to a modern health crisis among South Asians today. How with knowledge of this hidden history, South Asians can be proactive about living healthier lives. Dr. Mubin Syed, a practicing physician with six board certifications and a published health historian, details how South Asians, who make up 25% of the world population, have alarmingly high rates of heart disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. This is partly due to lifestyle choices like poor diet and lack of exercise, but there's also a growing body of evidence, some previously hidden or whitewashed, that it was the numerous and tragic colonial-era famines all over South Asia that led to modern genetic predispositions for disease. Over the 190 years that the British controlled South Asia, there were more than 25 famines that led to the death of an estimated 165 million people. South Asia was seen as an abundant territory to exploit, the population considered an obstacle to remove or disregard. Studies of children and grandchildren of famine-surviving populations show that genetic differences make them more susceptible to disease and early death. Healing From Our History shares details of the man-made famines and systematic and destructive policies and practices. It presents commentary from contemporaries who implemented the policies that taxed, subjugated, starved, imprisoned millions of people. There were people who tried to help by shedding light on the tragedies like Florence Nightingale, and Willoughby Wallace Hooper, a British photographer who took pictures of South Asians famine victims hours before they died. It was a small but vital attempt to document the tragedies being ignored or hidden under the British colonial-era zeal for wealth at all costs. This book is a reckoning with the past to help people and leaders acknowledge these historical truths that affect South Asian health today. It is for individuals, doctors, and leaders to help current generations pay closer attention to the unique healthcare needs of South Asians, and pave a healthier path for future generations.

Textauszug

Timeline of South Asian History

Year

Event

Precolonial South Asia

1526-1857

Mughal Empire rule

1600	Formation of the East India Company (EIC).

1615	The EIC acquires its first territory on the Indian subcontinent, Surat (Gujarat).

1628-1658

Shah Jahan serves as the 5th Mughal emperor.

1630-1632

The Deccan Famine, an estimated 7.4 million excess deaths were reported.

1658-1707

Aurangzeb (Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad) serves as the 6th Mughal emperor.

1645-1818

Maratha Empire rule

Colonial British Rule

1757	Battle of Plassey, resulted in the EIC gaining full control over the Bengal territories.

1769-1773

Great Bengal Famine: 10 million estimated deaths (33% of the population).

1772-1785

Warren Hastings serves as the Governor General of Bengal.

1782-1784

Madras and Chalisa Famines, upwards of 11 million deaths.

1782-1799

Kingdom of Mysore, Tipu Sultan serves as a ruler.

1791-1792

Doji Bara “Skull” Famine: 11 million deaths from starvation occurred 1789-1792.

1802-1803

Bombay Presidency Famine

1805-1807

Madras Presidency Famine

1812-1813

Rajputana Famine: 1.5-2 million deaths.

1812-1813

Kathiawar Region Famine: western Indian peninsula, Gujarat.

1813	Passing of the Charter Act, ending ended the EIC trade monopoly in India.

1818	Third Anglo-Maratha war

1819-1820

Broach Famine: Bharuch, Gujarat, western India

1820-1822

Sind Famine (southeastern Pakistan)

1823	Madras Presidency Famine

1825	Dadabhai Naoroji (“The Grand Old Man of India) is born.

1837-1838

Agra Famine: 800,000-1 million deaths.

1839-1842

First Anglo-Afghan war

1845-1852

Irish Potato Famine: Over 1 million deaths.2

1848-1856

Lord Dalhousie (aka James Broun-Ramsay) serves as the Viceroy of India.

1849	The Great Indian Peninsular Railways begins operating for purposes of exporting cotton, silk, opium, sugar and spices.

1853	Berar territory is taken under EIC administration

1853	Thane and Colaba Famine: western India, Maharashthra.

1854	Madras Presidency Famine

1854	Bellary Famine, associated with other local famines resultant of food price spikes.

1857	First Indian War of independence (Sepoy Mutiny/Rebellion)

1858	1858 Government of India Act: ends of Mughal rule in India, and of direct British Crown rule (British Raj).

1861-1865

American Civil War

1860-1861

Upper Doab Famine: at least 2 million deaths.

1865	First Indian Forest Act is passed.

1866	Orissa Famine: 1.5 million deaths.

1869	Mahatma Gandhi is born.

1869	Rajputana Famine, 1.5 million official deaths.

1873-1874

Bihar Famine, with an estimated death toll of 23, demonstrates the capabilities of British interventions to reduce death tolls during famine.

1873-1876

The Cotton Depression.3

1876-1878

The Great Famine (Madras Famine): an estimated 5.5-11 million deaths.

1876-1880

Lord Robert Lytton serves as the Viceroy of India.

1877	Queen Victoria serves as Empress.

1877-1880

Sir Richard Temple serves as Governor of Bombay.

1878	The Second Indian Forest Act is passed.

1878-1880

Second Anglo-Afghan...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 8.4.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-6478-3 / 9798350964783