ABSTRACT
River water movements and price inflation closely resemble each other in their impacts on the agricultural economy. A moderate inflation is arguably beneficial to the economy just as a continuous and moderate flow of water enhances productive possibilities. The periodicity of rains and frequency of inundation were responsible for high prices in core affected regions as much as human manipulations of food-stock, and prices were liable to be affected even in the region beyond the core. The greater intensity of impact on habitation and food-availability in north and east Bengal was due to the fact that rivers in these regions were beyond the deltaic zone, originating from mountains and hills, and came down with great turbulence and force. The climatic and economic crisis of 1787 the offers a clearer perspective on how local ecological conditions and economic patterns could interact to create a famine.
