The Third Plague Pandemic struck Bombay in 1896, part of a global outbreak of bubonic plague that caused widespread panic and disruption. The British colonial government implemented harsh quarantine measures, leading to significant population displacement and public unrest. This pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities of colonial health systems and the socio-political tensions of the time, influencing public health policies in the years to come.

Gave rise to a rich vein of protest poetry in regional Indian languages, directly attacking British sanitarians for violating caste privacy and cultural bodily taboos under the guise of public health. This movement influenced poets like Agha Shahid Ali, who explored themes of identity and resistance.