Mahua: A Lifesaving Famine Food in the Nineteenth Century

During the colonial period, officials deemed the flowers of mahua ( Madhuca longifolia ) to be ‘low quality’ and ‘food for the poor’ and even attempted to restrict their use. Despite this, the highly nutritious mahua flower held a significant place in the day-to-day lives of the Adivasis in Chotanagpur, as food, medicine and an ingredient to produce local spirit. In the nineteenth century, the value of mahua came to the fore as a famine food for the Adivasis, as Chotanagpur was hit by a series of severe droughts. During these times of acute food scarcity, mahua flowers sustained many Adivasis, allowing them to survive for days and even months on this vital forest resource. Integral as mahua became to Adivasis diet, its later scarcity subsequently contributed to the famine of 1896–97. This paper, therefore, aims to highlight the significance of the mahua flower in relation to famine, examining how its use by the Adivasis both stabilised and threatened their food security.