While it wouldn't be wise to attribute all those deaths to the British Empire, it's important to note that British agricultural practices led to widespread famines and crop-failures. Diversion of food crop land to grow Opium and Indigo led to famines[1]. And the risk of crop-failures was often beared by the cultivator[2].

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigation_in_India#History

2. http://barrett.dyson.cornell.edu/NEUDC/paper_364.pdf