International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research

Authors
Danish Mehran

Abstract
This paper aims at explaining the historical causes leading to food famines because historical approach, like any other scientific approach, does not attach any importance to those causes which are beyond the control of humans. In such matters, the historical cause is the failure of the state and the society to over-come the impact of the natural cause. In our specific case the historical cause is the inability of the state to visualize that in the peculiar geographical condition of Kashmir crops can fail any time on account of the natural disasters. In this situation it was necessary to have buffer stocks at least for one year to survive any disaster. It required more production than needed for one year. It also demanded many other measures to avert the crisis arising out of famines. Aside from the cultural implications of its social responses, the other way in which the famines have had a lasting impact upon Kashmiri society is by making its population more susceptible to disease and high mortality rates. While the hunger straight away lead to deaths, the eating of unripe or overripe fruits caused epidemic diseases.