The Kanara land assessment case of 1875: A forgotten chapter in the revenue history of colonial India

Abstract

The historiography of colonial India is a cornucopia. The Imperialist, Nationalist, Marxist, Cambridge and Subaltern scholars have contributed immensely to the understanding of British colonial working in India, its impact on India and Indians, and the manner in which Indians had responded to the colonial challenge. However, one major legal battle fought by Vaikunta Bapuji of North Kanara against the Bombay Government in 1875 has missed the attention of scholars. This is an attempt to present this case in the larger context of the British land-revenue administration in North Kanara. This study is largely based on the original documents collected from the Maharashtra State Archives, Mumbai.