We visit Bombay Presidency at the turn of the 20th century. The port city was a major economic hub, so, when rats onboard ships from Hong Kong carried bubonic plague into Bombay in August 1896, the British Raj reacted vehemently to tamp it down. There were a multitude of experiences of the plague and disease control, often delineated by class and caste. Maybe you've noticed this with Covid19, too? We discuss some of these themes with Tarangini Sriraman, a historian at Azim Premji University in Bangalore.