JOURNAL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA

Vol.93, March 2019, pp.263-268

Revisiting Two Damaging Indian Earthquakes of 1885: Kashmir

and Bengal
Sujit Dasgupta1 and Basab Mukhopadhyay2*
1
Formerly at Geological Survey of India,
2
Geological Survey of India, Map and Cartography Division, 29 J L Nehru Road, Kolkata – 700016, India
E-mail: sujitdasgupta@yahoo.com; basabmukhopadhyay@gmail.com*

ABSTRACT ~12 km (Jones, 1885b). The main shock of May 30 was preceded by
The Kashmir earthquake (Mw 6.3) of 30 May 1885 and the a foreshock of slight intensity, felt by several persons, on the evening
Bengal earthquake (Mw 6.9) of 14 July 1885 were revisited of 29 May. Aftershocks of slight to severe (e.g., on 15 June) intensity
incorporating data and information collated from newspaper continued for several days till middle of August (Jones, 1885a, b).
archives, district gazetteers, Geological Survey of India records Quittmeyer and Jacob (1979) lists ten earthquake with different
and other published documents. Isoseismal maps following MSK- epicentral locations from around the Kashmir valley region that
64 scale are presented for both the earthquakes with isoseist VIII occurred on May 30 with intensity (MM) varying from VIII to VI.
to V reassigned and reconstructed. The Kashmir valley at the
frontal Himalaya is seismically active where the 1885 earthquake Damage and Casuality
locates between two large earthquakes of 2005 and 1555. The In spite of the comparative mildness of the shock, the loss of life
Bengal earthquake on the other hand originates close to the eastern was very great. The cause of this is to be looked for in the very insecure
India continental margin below the Bengal basin; the N-S trending manner of buildings in vogue. In a very considerable number of the
Dhubri fault defining the eastern limit of the Garo-Rajmahal gap cases in which huts were damaged, the supports of the roof had
is arguably the causative fault. The 1930 Dhubri earthquake and given way and allowed it to subside, frequently carrying the walls
another earthquake of 1935, are closely associated with the Dhubri down with it leaving only a rubbish mass to indicate the spot where
fault. Epicentral tracts of both the earthquakes are densely the house had stood (Jones, 1885a; Mukhopadhyay and Dasgupta,
populated and calls for mitigative preparedness. 2015).
The entire territory of Kashmir valley with a population of about
INTRODUCTION 1,32,000 including 51,000 residents of Srinagar experienced the
Indian subcontinent regularly experience large and great earthquake shaking and resultant damage. The main damage region
earthquakes. Reports of such damaging earthquakes are recorded since inflicted by the earthquake extends from Srinagar (34.09N:74.79E)
16th century but well documented account for such earthquakes are towards west and northwest in and around Magam (Margaon;
available only from the 19th century. During the said century, it all 34.10N:74.60E), Sopore (Sopur; 34.29N:74.46E), Patan (Pattan;
started with the 1803 Garhwal earthquake (Quittmeyer and Jacob, 34.16N:74.55E), Baramula (34.20N:74.35E) and from Baramula down
1979; Rajendran and Rajendran, 2005; Dasgupta and Mukhopadhyay, the Jhelum valley to Chikar fort near Garhi. An isolated fort near Titwal,
2014a and references therein; Rajendran et al. 2018) and ended with 40 km NNW of Uri (34.08N:74.03E) on the Kishenganga River was
the 1897 Shillong earthquake (Oldham, 1899) through major events also damaged (Jones, 1885a). Number of persons killed by falling
of Cutch 1819 (Oldham, 1883; Rajendran and Rajendran, 2001 & buildings was something over 3,000 while loss of cattle, horses etc.
2002; Dasgupta and Mukhopadhyay, 2014b and references therein); was very great (Jones, 1885a). A more detail on casualty and damage
Nepal-India 1833 (Oldham, 1883; Milne 1911; Dasgupta and indicate loss of life at 3,081 persons, besides 25,000 sheep & goats
Mukhopadhyay, 2015 and references therein); Cachar, Assam 1869 and 8,000 cattle. The number of dwellings ruined is computed to be
(Oldham, 1882) among others. Reference may also be drawn to two 75,000 (Staunton Spectator, July 15 1885; Dispatch from Calcutta to
large earthquakes in adjacent Burma during 1839 and 1858. London Times).
The present document summarises effects of two moderate A ~800m long landslip occurred along a hill at Larridur, 11km
earthquakes (M > 6.0) that struck during 1885, one to the extreme
west in Kashmir related to the Himalayan tectonics and the other from
farthest east in Bengal (now Bangladesh) arguably related to some
Bengal intra-basin faults or to the regional Indo-Burmese tectonics
(Fig.1). Isoseismal maps in MSK-64 scale for both the earthquakes
from available newspapers and other reports are evaluated (see
Supplementary Material - I & II).

KASHMIR EARTHQUAKE
The earthquake struck on Sunday 30 May 1885; origin time:
02.45AM (local time set to residency in Srinagar) (Jones, 1885a);
epicenter located at 34.10N: 74.60E with magnitude (Mw) derived as
6.32 (Ambraseys and Douglas 2004). Magnitude Mw 6.4 was assigned
by Bilham and Ambraseys (2005). Epicentral coordinates of 34.12N:
74.61E considered (Dasgupta et al., 2000) for the Seismotectonic Atlas Fig.1. Index map showing the locations of 1885 Kashmir and Bengal
of India located 20 km west of Srinagar and focal depth estimated is earthquakes.

0016-7622/2019-93-3-263/$ 1.00 © GEOL. SOC. INDIA | DOI: 10.1007/s12594-019-1172-2

south of Baramulla that wiped out a village burying many people. nature and resultant loss of life was described from Sopore (Sopur) -
Several fissures and sand craters locate along the Jhelum river bank Doabgah (Dubgam) – Baramulla- Laridura- Gohan- Muran (Fig.3)
and at Patan, Dubgaon and Baramula. Increased flow of water was area. As documented by Dr. Neve (Shepherd, 1926; Neve, 1900, 1913),
noted in several springs (Jones, 1885b). who traversed the region in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake,
states that at Sopur, hundreds of well-built wooden and brick houses
Seismic Intensity and Isoseismal Map had fallen. In the uplands near Barmulla (Fig.2b) the earthquake
It may be noted that for the Kashmir earthquake of 30 May 1885, brought the greatest devastation; the villages on the low hills south of
Jones (1885b) prepared isoseismal map following Mallet’s (1862) scale Baramulla were completely destroyed. In some places (e.g., Laridura;
which was modified by Ambraseys and Douglas (2004), following a see Figure 2c) landslips fell and hill slopes were crumpled with deep
simplified MSK scale (see Ambraseys and Douglas, 2004 for criteria furrows, loss of life had been terrible and entire villages had been
of simplification). Subsequently Bilham et al. (2010) drew isoseismal annihilated. Newspaper reports (See Supplementary Material - I) also
VII, VI and a shaded area for VIII from intensity values of Ambraseys indicate that around thousand people were killed within this tract either
and Douglas (2004) and referred it as European Macroseismic Scale from collapse of building or landslide and rock fall. We thus redefine
(EMS). Ahmad et al. (2014) derived epicental intensity of X using isoseismal VIII in MSK-64 scale (Fig.3) based on additional informa-
ESI 2007 scale. tion and data collated during the present study. The semi-circular area
Isoseismal map by Jones (1885b) based on Mallet’s (1862) within isoseismal VIII in MSK-64 scale is of the order of ~ 396 km2.
classification includes, i) meizoseismal (total destruction of edifices Isoseismal VII in MSK-64 scale (Figure 3) an elliptical area of
and great loss of life); ii) first isoseismal (great prostration of edifices ~75 km long axis trending WNW-ESE, approximately follows ‘First
and loss of life); iii) second isoseismal (partial prostration and universal Isoseismal’ of Jones (1885b) and extends from east of Srinagar to
fissuring of edifices with partial or no loss of life) and iv) third Gingal in the west to Haran in the north. At Gondikallel, many mud
isoseismal (within which shocks distinctly perceived with alarm and houses were damaged; at Kaosa located on the bank of a small stream,
some fissuring and damage). brick pillars of a three-storeyed house under construction broke apart.
Jones (1885b) defined the meizoseismal zone (epicentral tract) as At Srinagar, damage to both life and property was extensive being
an area of 16 km x 9.5 km around Pattan, Magam and Kaosa within more populous area than other villages within the extent of isoseismal
the alluvial tract to the immediate northwest of Srinagar. Ambraseys VII. Earthquake inflicted damages at Srinagar (see Fig.2a) are discussed
and Douglas (2004), following Jones (1885b) assigned intensity VIII in text (see above) and Supplementary Material - I. There is no
to localities Magam and Pattan. At Magam, Jones (1885b) describes corresponding isoseismal of Jones (1885b) for isoseismal VI (Fig.3)
damage of three houses where the mud walls between unburnt brick presented. This passes through south of Pandrethan (Rampur) (see
pillars collapsed and at Pattan the ancient Buddhist temple constructed also Bilham et al., 2010), Drang and Uri in the south and through
with trimmed limestone slabs without any cementing material was Trahagam in the north. Our isoseismal V in MSK-64 scale more or
damaged but did not collapse altogether (Fig.2d). There is no reference less corresponds to ‘Second Isoseismal’ of Jones (1885b) and follows
to any mass destruction of property form the area or any figures of an elliptical trend through Punch, Bagh, Chikar, Garhi, Teetwal
casualty. On the other hand, significant damage to man-made structures, (Titwal), Kundian and Gurais.

Fig.2. Damage due to 30 May 1885 Kashmir earthquake. a) Damaged Durbar Rooms, Shere Ghurie Palace (from illustrated London News
1885), b) Ruins of Baramula (from illustrated London News 1885), c) Sketch showing the nature of Chasm near Laridura (from illustrated
London News 1885), and d) Ruined Buddhist Temple near Patan (from Jones, 1885a,b).

264 JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.93, MARCH 2019

Seismotectonics (Ambraseys and Douglas, 2004) struck eastern part of Bengal (now
Based on the revised isoseismal map for the 30 May 1885 Bangladesh) with epicenter near 24.50N:90.00E and with origin time
earthquake (Fig.3) epicentral co-ordinate assigned is latitude 34.22N: 00h 30m (UTC) (Ambraseys and Douglas, 2004); at Calcutta the first
longitude 74.39E. This Kashmir earthquake of 1885 (Mw 6.3; focal shock was felt at 6h 24m 12s sharp (Medlicot, 1885). NEIC (USGS)
depth ~ 12km) is located between two large earthquake events of 2005 and Chandra (1977) record a location of 24.00N: 90.00E. Middlemiss
in the northwest and 1555 in the southeast (Fig.3) both shallow foci (1885) located the epicentre around 23.98N:90.11E, a locality close
(~ 16 km for the 2005 event) with magnitude Mw 7.6 corresponding to Manikganj. Average focal depth computed by the then available
to rupture length of ~ 150 km at focal depth. In comparison, the rupture practise is of the order of 70 km (Middlemiss, 1885). The earthquake
length for the 1885 earthquake is ~ 15 km located close to the tip of was violently felt at Serajganj, Sherpur (Mymensingh District),
eastern and western rupture segment of the 2005 and 1555 earthquakes Mymensingh, Dacca and Pabna in the epicentral tract, where
respectively. The isoseismal map of the 2005 earthquake (cf. Figure destruction to buildings is greatest and loss of life occurred
3c, Mukhopadhyay and Dasgupta, 2015) shows that the epicentral (Middlemiss, 1885; Medlicott, 1885).
tract experienced an intensity of X on MSK-64 scale in the zone There was a gentler but still violent shock experienced on 25 June,
encompassed Balakot and Muzaffarabad towns. The 65 km long a forerunner as Middlemiss (1885) referred it, or a foreshock that was
surface rupture extending between Balakot and Bagh was mapped felt at Calcutta and Darjeeling. Large number of aftershocks followed
(Kaneda et al., 2008) and Balakot-Bagh fault was taken as the the mainshock of 14 July; 11 aftershocks were recorded between 21
causative fault for the thrust earthquake of 2005. This Balakot- July and 5 September (Middlemiss, 1885). Chandra (1977) mentioned
Bagh fault (BBF; see Fig.3) locates south of the Main Boundary of an aftershock of Intensity VI (MM) located at 25.0N:89.2E on 24
Thrust (MBT) and likely to be another thrust splay from the Main July. A large number of felt aftershocks recorded mostly from Bogra
Himalayan Thrust (MHT). The BBF extends from Balakot to further (24.84N: 89.37E) till December 1885 and were tabulated in The
south-east possibly upto Punch and finally merges with other frontal Calcutta Gazette (July-December 1885). Apart from the aftershock of
thrusts (Riasi thrust?) south of MBT. On the other hand, the 1885 24 July (3.30 PM), severe shocks were felt on 5 September (11.30
earthquake ruptured the MBT. Extensive damage in the Kashmir valley AM) and 25 October; the former was also felt at Pabna; aftershocks
resulted from amplified ground motion due to the presence of soft were also felt at Bogra on 26 July, 15 August, 3 September, 8 and 16
surface sediments (Karewas and alluvium) over lesser Himalayan October, 27 November, 14, 18 and 21 December. Aftershocks were
metamorphics. also felt at Darjeeling on 29 July, Jalpaiguri (Alipur) on 5 September
and Naogaon (24.91N: 88.75E) on 3 August.
BENGAL EARTHQUAKE
July 14 1885 was an auspicious day. It was a day for both Ratha Damage and Casuality
Yatra (Chariot Festival) and also Eid (Fid-ul-Fitr or Ramzan Eid) but The earthquake was felt with violence throughout the Bengal
nature showed her might; an earthquake of magnitude Mw 6.87 Province which is said to have been the severest one experienced by

Fig.3. Isoseismal Map in MSK-64 scale of 30 May 1885 Kashmir earthquake. MBT- Main Boundary Thrust, BBF- Balakot Bag Fault, JF-
Jhelum Fault.

JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.93, MARCH 2019 265

the inhabitants for 40 years. The damage to property and loss of life 20), Martin and Szeliga (2010) recorded at least 75 deaths in eastern
was concentrated within area bounded by Rampur (Natore), Bogra, Bengal and adjacent areas due to the earthquake.
Sherpur, Mymensingh, Dacca and Pabna (Middlemiss, 1885).
Serajganj [24.31N:89.57E; population as per 1881 census 21,037 Seismic Intensity and Isoseismal Map
(Bourdillon, 1883) under the then Pabna district] was one of the towns For the Bengal earthquake of 14 July 1885, Middlemiss (1885)
that suffered severely with considerable damage to masonry buildings did not assign intensity values for the areas surveyed or produce any
(O’Malley, 1923). Chimneys belonging to some jute mills fell; the isoseismal map but suggested a circular area, within which there was
mills were closed for celebration of the Eid festival, so that there was maximum damage.
no loss of life at the site but in many other places some of the houses The early morning earthquake of 14 July 1885 was felt over a
fell and people were killed (Glasgow Evening Post, 21 July 1885; see large segment of eastern India covering an area of ~ 5, 96,700 sq. km.;
Supplementary Material - II). Sherpur [25.00N:89.87E; population from Chota Nagpur in the west to Assam, Manipur, Burma in the east
as per 1881 census 8,710 (Bourdillon, 1883) under the then through Sikkim and Bhutan in the north. Based on damage reports by
Mymensingh district] was in ruins where around 100 houses were Middlemiss (1885) along with those published in contemporary
collapsed (Middlemiss, 1885). In Bogra town [24.84N:89.37E; newspapers and District Gazetteers, intensity following MSK-64 scale
population as per 1881 census 6,179 (Bourdillon, 1883)] most of the has been evaluated and the Isoseismal map for the earthquake is
public buildings including the Kachairi, the circuit house, and the constructed (Fig.4).
library were so cracked that they became practically unsafe and The innermost isoseismal VIII in MSK-64 scale is drawn covering
temporary sheds had to be raised for holding office (Gupta, 1910). At the substantial damaged area of Sherpur, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Nattore
Rangpur tremor felt was of moderate intensity and duration, and caused and Bogra. Total elliptical area covered is ~ 742 sq km with long axis
little damage (Vas, 1911). Within the epicentral tract maximum damage (~ 125km) trending NE-SW. Isoseismal VII in MSK-64 scale cover
was in a small area covering Sherpur, Bogra and Natore (Middlemiss, areas of Mymensingh and Muktagacha in the east, Pabna in south and
1885) through Serajganj. Balurghat in the northwest; isoseismal VI in MSK-64 scale includes
The number of deaths was 47. Of these, 35 occurred at Sherpur, 4 Inraj Bazar (Malda), Azimganj, Faridpur, Dacca and Tura in Garo
at Bogra and 8 in other different places (Gupta, 1910). Eleven people Hills. The earthquake was distinctly felt at Tura (between isoseismal
were reported to have been killed at a place named ‘Azimgunge’ and VII and VI). No serious damage was done but government buildings
several people at Dacca (Glasgow Evening Post, 21 July 1885; see were so severely shaken and strained that they became unsafe for living
Supplementary Material - II). Quoting Times Magazine (July 15-July (Allen, 1906). Isoseismal V in MSK - 64 scale covers a large area

Fig.4. Isoseismal Map in MSK-64 scale of 14 July 1885 Bengal earthquake. 1- Epicenter of 1885 earthquake. 2- Epicenter of 1935 earthquake.
3- Epicenter of 1930 Dhubri earthquake. DBF- Debagram Bogra Fault; DF- Dhubri Fault; EHZ- Eocence Hinge Zone; MFT – Main Frontal
Thrust; TMFB – Tripura Mizoram Fold Belt

266 JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.93, MARCH 2019

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further east, similar to Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) below the Plateau, Northeast India. VII Symposium on Earthquake Engineering,
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deeper event (focal depth: 80km) of 21 March 1935 (lat 24.25N: long Pioneer Press, Allahabad, p.74.
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fault occurs the Dhubri earthquake (no.3 in Fig.4) of 3 July 1930 (lat Geol. Surv. India, v.18, pp.153-156.
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map of the Dhubri earthquake, Gee (1934) suggests considerable focal
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(Received: 8 November 2017; Revised form accepted: 6 Apirl 2018)

268 JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.93, MARCH 2019