Company and Crown

There were positive and negative developments during this time. However, demographic data became much fuller. Despite famines and epidemics, there was appreciable population growth. By 1871 India’s population was about 255 million. The chapter considers the evidence for the growth and discusses the population’s demographic characteristics, the occurrence of famines, epidemics, migration, and changes in the urban sector. There are few reasons to think that there was significant de-urbanization. By 1871 around 8–11 per cent of the population lived in places with 5,000 people or more. The most likely explanation for the growth of 1821–71 is that there was a slight reduction in mortality. The reasons were undoubtedly complex, but they probably included greater vaccination and improvements in communication. Influenced by the developing principles of ‘sanitary science’, attitudes to dealing with demographic crises and ill health, and recognition of the need for relevant data, were gradually becoming more systematic.