THE BENGAL CYCLONE OF 1876 THE EMPIRE ON TRIAL BY AZIZUL RASEL 2026

Was the Bengal Cyclone of 1876 simply a natural disaster—or a tragedy shaped by empire? Benjamin Kingsbury's An Imperial Disaster argues that the storm became one of Bengal's deadliest catastrophes because of colonial policies that pushed impoverished people into vulnerable coastal lands, accelerated the clearing of the Sundarbans, and failed to provide meaningful relief when disaster struck. Drawing on rare archival records, the book reveals how deforestation, neglect and the pursuit of revenue magnified the human cost of the cyclone, leaving a lesson that remains strikingly relevant today. Read the full article link in the comments