In 1817-21, cholera spread out of its supposed ‘home’ in deltaic Bengal to much of the rest of India, marking the beginning of several pandemic waves which engulfed much of the world. Despite its importance, this crucial phase in the history of cholera – and also of India – has received little attention by comparison with outbreaks in later decades. This paper assesses the impact of the epidemics on communities in different parts of India and on colonial governance. In doing so, it tests the applicability of models derived from Western experience and explores the different social dynamics of disease in modern and pre-modern societies.