Social History of Epidemics in the Colonial Punjab

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Epidemics have historically posed significant challenges to both state and society, particularly in colonial India. The Punjab region, crucial for its agricultural output and military recruitment, suffered severely from these outbreaks, with countless lives lost. The British government, recognizing the strategic importance of Punjab, took aggressive measures to control the epidemics, often infringing on the privacy and religious beliefs of the local population. This work explores the interactions between state responses and societal reactions during these health crises.