The Third Plague Epidemic began in the mid-1800s in Yunnan, China, (an area that is still a natural reservoir for the Yersinia pestis bacteria) and had a huge death toll across Asia in the next century. While plague was confined to the Yunnan region for some decades, the mass displacement and social upheaval caused by the Taiping Rebellion saw millions flee the area , bringing the disease to other parts of the country. A plague epidemic then emerged in British-controlled Hong Kong in 1894, where merchants then unknowingly transported infected rats to other parts of the empire along various trade routes.
Arrival in Bombay
The first Indian cases were reported in Bombay (present-day Mumbai), and the Bombay Presidency suffered more losses than any other region in India (although there were some individual years where the state of Punjab reported more deaths). As with most disease or famine outbreaks in the region, the British authorities were slow to react, and their eventual response was in many ways too late. In some cases authorities even facilitated the spread of the disease; with multiple accounts of the military forcing healthy people into quarantine camps, evicting and burning homes of the afflicted, or by using such excessive force that the public would refuse medical help.
Spread in India
Lack of understanding among the Indian public was also to their own detriment. Some religions in India forbid the killing of rats, while some people simply refused to acknowledge that they were sick. As the plague in Bombay spiraled out of control, many fled to other parts of the country, taking the plague with them. It is estimated that there were over one million deaths in India by 1902, and almost one million further deaths in 1903 alone. The first four months of 1904 also saw over half a million deaths, almost matching the entire total for 1902. Plague would remain endemic to India for the next few decades, and there are varying reports of up to 10 or 12 million total plague deaths in this time. The public health measures taken to combat the plague in the early 20th century would mark the beginnings of India's public health system, and some of the quarantine measures put in place by the colonial government were even used in 2020 during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total number bubonic plague deaths by region in India from 1896 to 1904
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Cambridge University Press. (May 5, 2020). Total number bubonic plague deaths by region in India from 1896 to 1904 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 09, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115019/plague-deaths-india-circa-1900/
Cambridge University Press. "Total number bubonic plague deaths by region in India from 1896 to 1904." Chart. May 5, 2020. Statista. Accessed December 09, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115019/plague-deaths-india-circa-1900/
Cambridge University Press. (2020). Total number bubonic plague deaths by region in India from 1896 to 1904. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 09, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115019/plague-deaths-india-circa-1900/
Cambridge University Press. "Total Number Bubonic Plague Deaths by Region in India from 1896 to 1904." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 May 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115019/plague-deaths-india-circa-1900/
Cambridge University Press, Total number bubonic plague deaths by region in India from 1896 to 1904 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115019/plague-deaths-india-circa-1900/ (last visited December 09, 2024)
Total number bubonic plague deaths by region in India from 1896 to 1904 [Graph], Cambridge University Press, May 5, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115019/plague-deaths-india-circa-1900/