Indian famine and agrarian problems

The book deals with the famine, land revenue and poverty of the Indian Peasant during the administration of Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of state for India, 1895-1903. Having reviewed the past Indian famines it stresses the great famines of 1896-7 during Lord Eligin's Viceroyalty (1894-8) and 1899-1900 during Curzon's (1899-1905) and reveals that the recommendation of the Famine Commission of 1880 was ignored and that government policy dominated by concern for economy in relief operation had caused heavy mortality totaling over ten millions.

The work traces the high land tax in the major parts of India, the misappropriation of the Famine Insurance Fund and Curzon's frustrated efforts to reorganise the fund for its proper use.

The revelation of the British Liberal and Radical reaction to the "Un-British" Tory rule in India forms a significant part of the book. Through the British press, platform parliament and the formation of the Indian Famine Union in England, politicians belonging to the both groups unsuccessfully pressed the India Office and the Government of India to introduce some reforms in India in order to provide economic relief to the impoverished masses.