Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World is a book by Mike Davis about the connection between political economy and global climate patterns, particularly the impact of colonialism and the introduction of capitalism during the El Niño–Southern Oscillation related famines of 1876–1878, 1896–1897, and 1899–1902 across multiple continents. The book's main conclusion is that the deaths of 30–60 million people killed in famines all over the world during the later part of the 19th century were caused by the laissez-faire and Malthusian economic ideology of the colonial governments.
Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World
Millions died, not outside the 'modern world system', but in the very process of being forcibly incorporated into its economic and political structures. They died in the golden age of Liberal Capitalism; indeed, many were murdered ... by the theological application of the sacred principles of Smith, Bentham and Mill.[6]
The book won the World History Association Book Prize in 2002.[7] It focuses on how colonialism and capitalism in Colonial India and elsewhere increased rural poverty and hunger while economic policies exacerbated famine. The book's main conclusion is that the deaths of 30–60 million people killed in famines all over the world during the later part of the 19th century were caused by laissez-faire and Malthusian economic ideology of the colonial governments. In addition to a preface and a short section on definitions, the book is broken into four parts: The Great Drought, 1876–1878; El Niño and the New Imperialism, 1888–1902; Decyphering ENSO; and The Political Ecology of Famine.[8]
Davis explicitly places his historical reconstruction of these catastrophes in the tradition inaugurated by Rosa Luxemburg in The Accumulation of Capital, where she sought to expose the dependence of the economic mechanisms of capitalist expansion on the infliction of 'permanent violence' on the South.[9]
Davis argues, for example, that "Between 1875–1900—a period that included the worst famines in Indian history—annual grain exports increased from 3 to 10 million tons", equivalent to the annual nutrition of 25m people. "Indeed, by the turn of the century, India was supplying nearly a fifth of Britain's wheat consumption at the cost of its own food security."[10] In addition,
Already saddled with a huge public debt that included reimbursing the stockholders of the East India Company and paying the costs of the 1857 revolt, India also had to finance British military supremacy in Asia. In addition to incessant proxy warfare with Russia on the Afghan frontier, the subcontinent's masses also subsidized such far-flung adventures of the Indian Army as the occupation of Egypt, the invasion of Ethiopia, and the conquest of the Sudan. As a result, military expenditures never comprised less than 25 percent (34 percent including police) of India's annual budget ...[11]
As an example of the effects of both this and of the restructuring of the local economy to suit imperial needs (in Victorian Berar, the acreage of cotton doubled 1875–1900),[12] Davis notes that "During the famine of 1899–1900, when 143,000 Beraris died directly from starvation, the province exported not only thousands of bales of cotton but an incredible 747,000 bushels of grain."[13]
Publication history
This book was first published in Illustrated Hardcover edition in December 2000. It was later issued in paperback format in May 2002.[14] An extract was published in Antipode in 2000.[15]
Reception
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2012)
In his book Apocalypse Then, Nobel laureateAmartya Sen, while generally approving the historical presentation of facts, argued that Davis' conclusions were overly reductive. In response to Davis' approval of Karl Polanyi's hypothesis that "Indian masses in the second half of the 19th century ... perished in large numbers because the Indian village community had been demolished", Sen retorts that "this is an enormous exaggeration. In exploding one myth, we have to be careful not to fall for another"; however,
it is an illustrative book of the disastrous consequences of fierce economic inequality combined with a drastic imbalance of political voice and power. The late-Victorian tragedies exemplify a wider problem of human insecurity and vulnerability ultimately related to economic disparity and political disempowerment. The relevance of this highly informative book goes well beyond its immediate historical focus.[17]
Reviews
Sandhu, Sukhdev (20 January 2001). "Hunger strike". The Guardian.
Bright, Martin (11 February 2001). "From mud to pebbles". The Observer.
Maxwell, Kenneth (2002). "El Niño in History: Storming Through the Ages/Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño, Famines, and the Making of the Third World (Book)". Foreign Affairs. 81 (3): 169.
"Mike Davis: Late Victorian Holocausts". Socialist Worker. 24 February 2001.
Cottrell, Christopher (10 December 2003). "Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World (review)". Journal of World History. 14 (4): 577–9. doi:10.1353/jwh.2003.0050. S2CID 162316889.
^Maxwell, Kenneth (2002). "El Nino in History: Storming Through the Ages; Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino, Famines, and the Making of the Third World". Foreign Affairs. ISSN 0015-7120. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
^Leitch, Richard (2008). "Book Review: Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World By Mike Davis. New York: Verso, 2001. 470 pp. $20.00 paper". Review of Radical Political Economics. 40 (3): 384–387. doi:10.1177/0486613408319853. ISSN 0486-6134. S2CID 154514190.
^Magdoff, Fred (2005). "Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World. By Mike Davis 2001. Verso, London and New York. US$27, ISBN 1-85984-739-0, cloth". Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 20 (3): 190–192. doi:10.1079/RAF2005109. ISSN 1742-1713. S2CID 154616192.
^Studer, Roman (2015). The Great Divergence Reconsidered: Europe, India, and the Rise to Global Economic Power. Cambridge University Press. p. 158. ISBN978-1-316-23976-6.
^Smil, Vaclav (2001). "The Shadow of Droughts' Deaths: Late Victorian Holocausts El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World by Mike Davis. Verso, London, 2001. 474 pp. $27, C$38, £20. ISBN 1-85984-739-0. (Book Review)". Science. 292 (5517): 644–645. doi:10.1126/science.1060130. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 3083525. S2CID 152563001.
^Davis, M. (2001). Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World. London: Verso. p. 9. ISBN978-1-85984-739-8.
^ abThe World History Association Bentley Book Prize Winners 11 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^Davis, M. (2001). Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World. London: Verso. p. 9. ISBN978-1-85984-739-8.
^Callinicos, Alex (2002). "The Actuality of Imperialism". Millennium – Journal of International Studies. 31 (2): 319–326 See p. 321. doi:10.1177/03058298020310020601. S2CID 144874823.
^Verso Books Publication Page 15 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^Davis, M. (2000). "The Origin of the Third World". Antipode. 32 (1): 48–89. doi:10.1111/1467-8330.00119.
^Fagan, Brian (2 December 2001). . Nonfiction: The Best Books of 2001. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015.
^Sen, Amartya (18 February 2001). "Apocalypse Then". Books. The New York Times.
External links
"Who's the twerp and who writes twaddle?" by Peter Wilby in the New Statesman, 26 June 2006.
March 17, 2023
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This article s plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise May 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World is a book by Mike Davis about the connection between political economy and global climate patterns particularly the impact of colonialism and the introduction of capitalism during the El Nino Southern Oscillation related famines of 1876 1878 1896 1897 and 1899 1902 across multiple continents The book s main conclusion is that the deaths of 30 60 million people killed in famines all over the world during the later part of the 19th century were caused by the laissez faire and Malthusian economic ideology of the colonial governments Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third WorldAuthorMike DavisCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishSubjectEnvironmental economics economic historyGenreNon fictionPublisherVersoPublication dateDecember 2000Media typeHardback amp paperbackPages464 pp hardback edition ISBN1 85984 739 0 Hardback ISBN 1 85984 382 4 Paperback Dewey Decimal363 8 09172 4 21LC ClassHC79 F3 D38 2001A controversial book 1 it has received both praise and criticism Praise generally focused on Davis analysis of the Third World 2 and its origins 3 while conversely his assertion the Indian famines which took place under colonial rule were intentionally engineered by the British has been criticized as extreme 4 and conspiracist 5 Contents 1 Overview 2 Publication history 3 Reception 4 Reviews 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksOverview Edit Victims of the Great Indian Famine of 1876 1878This book explores the impact of colonialism and the introduction of capitalism during the El Nino Southern Oscillation related famines of 1876 1878 1896 1897 and 1899 1902 in India China Brazil Ethiopia Korea Vietnam the Philippines and New Caledonia I El Nino Southern Oscillation ENSO By comparing ENSO episodes in different time periods and across countries Davis explores the impact of colonialism and the introduction of capitalism and the relation with famine in particular Davis argues thatMillions died not outside the modern world system but in the very process of being forcibly incorporated into its economic and political structures They died in the golden age of Liberal Capitalism indeed many were murdered by the theological application of the sacred principles of Smith Bentham and Mill 6 The book won the World History Association Book Prize in 2002 7 It focuses on how colonialism and capitalism in Colonial India and elsewhere increased rural poverty and hunger while economic policies exacerbated famine The book s main conclusion is that the deaths of 30 60 million people killed in famines all over the world during the later part of the 19th century were caused by laissez faire and Malthusian economic ideology of the colonial governments In addition to a preface and a short section on definitions the book is broken into four parts The Great Drought 1876 1878 El Nino and the New Imperialism 1888 1902 Decyphering ENSO and The Political Ecology of Famine 8 Davis explicitly places his historical reconstruction of these catastrophes in the tradition inaugurated by Rosa Luxemburg in The Accumulation of Capital where she sought to expose the dependence of the economic mechanisms of capitalist expansion on the infliction of permanent violence on the South 9 Davis argues for example that Between 1875 1900 a period that included the worst famines in Indian history annual grain exports increased from 3 to 10 million tons equivalent to the annual nutrition of 25m people Indeed by the turn of the century India was supplying nearly a fifth of Britain s wheat consumption at the cost of its own food security 10 In addition Already saddled with a huge public debt that included reimbursing the stockholders of the East India Company and paying the costs of the 1857 revolt India also had to finance British military supremacy in Asia In addition to incessant proxy warfare with Russia on the Afghan frontier the subcontinent s masses also subsidized such far flung adventures of the Indian Army as the occupation of Egypt the invasion of Ethiopia and the conquest of the Sudan As a result military expenditures never comprised less than 25 percent 34 percent including police of India s annual budget 11 As an example of the effects of both this and of the restructuring of the local economy to suit imperial needs in Victorian Berar the acreage of cotton doubled 1875 1900 12 Davis notes that During the famine of 1899 1900 when 143 000 Beraris died directly from starvation the province exported not only thousands of bales of cotton but an incredible 747 000 bushels of grain 13 Publication history EditThis book was first published in Illustrated Hardcover edition in December 2000 It was later issued in paperback format in May 2002 14 An extract was published in Antipode in 2000 15 Reception EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it September 2012 This book won the World History Association Book Prize in 2002 7 It was also featured in the Los Angeles Times Best Books of 2001 list 16 In his book Apocalypse Then Nobel laureate Amartya Sen while generally approving the historical presentation of facts argued that Davis conclusions were overly reductive In response to Davis approval of Karl Polanyi s hypothesis that Indian masses in the second half of the 19th century perished in large numbers because the Indian village community had been demolished Sen retorts that this is an enormous exaggeration In exploding one myth we have to be careful not to fall for another however it is an illustrative book of the disastrous consequences of fierce economic inequality combined with a drastic imbalance of political voice and power The late Victorian tragedies exemplify a wider problem of human insecurity and vulnerability ultimately related to economic disparity and political disempowerment The relevance of this highly informative book goes well beyond its immediate historical focus 17 Reviews EditSandhu Sukhdev 20 January 2001 Hunger strike The Guardian Bright Martin 11 February 2001 From mud to pebbles The Observer Maxwell Kenneth 2002 El Nino in History Storming Through the Ages Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World Book Foreign Affairs 81 3 169 Mike Davis Late Victorian Holocausts Socialist Worker 24 February 2001 Cottrell Christopher 10 December 2003 Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World review Journal of World History 14 4 577 9 doi 10 1353 jwh 2003 0050 S2CID 162316889 See also EditChurchill s Secret War Great Famine of 1876 78 Indian famine of 1896 97 Indian famine of 1899 1900 Great Irish Famine Northern Chinese Famine of 1876 79 Boxer Rebellion 1899 1900References Edit Maxwell Kenneth 2002 El Nino in History Storming Through the Ages Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World Foreign Affairs ISSN 0015 7120 Retrieved 5 January 2023 Leitch Richard 2008 Book Review Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World By Mike Davis New York Verso 2001 470 pp 20 00 paper Review of Radical Political Economics 40 3 384 387 doi 10 1177 0486613408319853 ISSN 0486 6134 S2CID 154514190 Magdoff Fred 2005 Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World By Mike Davis 2001 Verso London and New York US 27 ISBN 1 85984 739 0 cloth Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 20 3 190 192 doi 10 1079 RAF2005109 ISSN 1742 1713 S2CID 154616192 Studer Roman 2015 The Great Divergence Reconsidered Europe India and the Rise to Global Economic Power Cambridge University Press p 158 ISBN 978 1 316 23976 6 Smil Vaclav 2001 The Shadow of Droughts Deaths Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World by Mike Davis Verso London 2001 474 pp 27 C 38 20 ISBN 1 85984 739 0 Book Review Science 292 5517 644 645 doi 10 1126 science 1060130 ISSN 0036 8075 JSTOR 3083525 S2CID 152563001 Davis M 2001 Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World London Verso p 9 ISBN 978 1 85984 739 8 a b The World History Association Bentley Book Prize Winners Archived 11 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine Davis M 2001 Late Victorian Holocausts El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World London Verso p 9 ISBN 978 1 85984 739 8 Callinicos Alex 2002 The Actuality of Imperialism Millennium Journal of International Studies 31 2 319 326 See p 321 doi 10 1177 03058298020310020601 S2CID 144874823 Davis 2000 p 59 Davis 2000 pp 60 61 Davis 2000 p 65 Davis 2000 p 66 Verso Books Publication Page Archived 15 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Davis M 2000 The Origin of the Third World Antipode 32 1 48 89 doi 10 1111 1467 8330 00119 Fagan Brian 2 December 2001 Late Victorian Holocausts Nonfiction The Best Books of 2001 Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 22 February 2015 Sen Amartya 18 February 2001 Apocalypse Then Books The New York Times External links Edit Who s the twerp and who writes twaddle by Peter Wilby in the New Statesman 26 June 2006 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Late Victorian Holocausts amp oldid 1141620645, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
