Bills Of Health: Cholera And The Politics Of Health In The Colonial Port Of Calcutta (1866-1876)

Abstract

Introduction: This paper seeks to unravel some of the complex political ramifications of the Bill of Health in the context of colonial India. As the threat of Cholera loomed larger than ever during the second half of 19^th century, pilgrimage and pestilence assumed a political character with the major European powers that held the Indian pilgrims to the Hedjaz responsible for the contagion. With the re-enforcement of the Bill of Health, the British government in India was expected to acquiesce to the international demands. But for the British authorities in India, pilgrimage had political implications that could not be ignored. Bill of Health, thus, perturbed the British authorities in India in more ways than one. What was to be the format of the bill? Who was to be appointed the authority to grant such a certificate? What was its relevance for Britain in the global political scenario? These are some of the problems that the paper attempts to address through a diligent archival study.  The port of Calcutta has been taken as a case study not only because it was one of the most important ports of colonial India, but also because it serves the purpose of highlighting the wide gulf between the core and the periphery of the British administration with regard to the execution of adopted policies

Objectives: The objective of this research is to understand how colonialism as a system was affected by repeated outbreaks of cholera epidemics. Focusing on one of the major aspects of public health regulations during an epidemic, this article makes an attempt to study how the colonial state of British India responded to the dangers of epidemic and impending sanctions from the international community at large.

Methods: The research is mostly based on archival sources, especially official proceedings regarding the Haj pilgrimage from the Port of Calcutta between 1866-1876.