The project report provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the Spanish Flu in colonial Bengal. The study explores the introduction of the pandemic into India (Hill, 2011, p. 24), its outbreak in colonial Bengal, and the government’s response. Through six detailed chapters, the study examines the death toll in Calcutta, its impact on other districts of colonial Bengal, and the famine that led to further violence. It demonstrates the inadequacy of the British government’s response to the pandemic and the failure of disaster relief by demonstrating the intersection of disease, medicine, and imperial politics. It reveals the British government’s inadequacy in responding to the pandemic and its failure in disaster response. The research further explores the reaction of nationalists to the colonial administration’s management of the crisis, highlighting how Indian leaders condemned British government’s actions as insufficient and utilized the pandemic to express their dissent against calls for greater freedom. The report also discusses the long-term epidemiological consequences of this devastating pandemic, including vaccine development, and its future public health implications. This study underscores the significance of understanding the history of a historical pandemic in informing current and future interventions, as well as addressing the need for robust clinical, health-based measures, and community engagement. Drawing on primary and secondary sources, the present research provides valuable insights into the socio-economic and politico-historical landscape of colonial Bengal during the pandemic, contributing to the broader field of the history of science.
