This was taken in 1877. It’s been burned into my consciousness for years ever since seeing it.

It’s a man looking over his family during the British Raj in India. There were many cases of cannibalism and he feared someone would try to kill and eat his children or wife.

I acknowledge this is a difficult picture to look at— but I included it for a reason. Many people in the US/West aren’t even aware of the terrible famines that swept through India and which are comparable to the holocaust in deaths (an estimated ~30 million people have died in famines in India).

This was taken from the Great Famine of 1876–1878, which was far worse than the infamous Bengal Famine. It was caused by a crop failure/drought and was exacerbated by the crown’s export of wheat abroad. In total, 5.6 - 9 million people died (it’s hard to get exact figures).

And within huge statistics like these, are forgotten stories.

These are individuals and families, who slowly faced the despair of knowing they had no food and would have no food in the near future. They faced the horror of knowing there was nothing they could do to save their life or that of their children.

The above image is striking for so many reasons, namely and obviously, because of how emaciated this family is—while still managing to be alive. They are being subjected to catabolysis, the process by which your body breaks down other tissues to feed itself when it has no other options.

And it’s incredible that the father still uses the last ounces of his strength to defiantly watch over his family. The image properly captures the hellscape these poor people had to endure.