Revisiting Smallpox Epidemic in Punjab (c. 1850 – c. 1901)

Disease is both a pathological reality and a social construction. It befalls individuals, and since individuals are the actors in the drama of history, it may well happen that the illness of a man in position of power influences his actions and thus entails historical consequences. The same disease may also attack a large number of people at the same time as happens when an epidemic invades the land. The British emphasised the role of climate, social condition, habits and morals of the population in the spread of a disease.