Fevers in the garden: a history of malaria in colonial Assam from 1826 - 1939

Thesis

Malaria was the deadliest infectious disease in colonial Assam, but the malady received less attention from government officials and medical officers than other diseases. Additionally, malaria in Assam has received relatively little attention from modern historians. This project sits at the intersection of medical, colonial, and environmental histories, and contributes to discussions in the history of malaria, Assam, and British India. It explores the history of malaria in colonial Assam between 1826 and 1939. The approach is largely one of historical epidemiology; it analyses mortality and morbidity data on ‘Fevers’ and attempts made by the government and medical officers to understand and prevent the disease.

Assam was transformed by British rule, and the trajectories of both malaria and society were strongly influenced by colonial rule during this time period. The ecology of Assam was heavily modified to support the province’s biggest industry- tea. In the process, jungles were cleared, millions of immigrant labourers were recruited, and malaria flourished. Efforts to reduce malaria across the province failed, and public health as a practice was often structured around keeping immigrant labourers healthy and industrial enclaves productive. Exploring anti-malarial measures in the province and the relationship between the creation of medical knowledge and public health praxis, this project touches on the topics of colonial ‘development’, quinine, mosquito control measures, and epidemiology.

This dissertation argues that malaria played a pivotal role in the history of colonial Assam; that historians are able to gain some understanding of the presence and effects of the disease even when knowledge in the past was limited; and that perceptions of the disease, attempts to control it, and that both human and non-human factors that contributed to malaria were heavily influenced by colonial forces.

Authors: Friederich, E

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-0oz62rkjz
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Malaria; Epidemiology; Mosquito; Colonial; India; Quinine; History; Fevers; Assam; Empire; Medicine; Public Health; Ethan; Friederich
• Subjects: History