The present article analyses the ecological impact of colonial land revenue systems in South Asia through the lens of imperial political economy, focusing on the Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari, and Mahalwari systems. It contends that colonial policies transformed land into a commodified, revenue-driven asset, undermining traditional collective management and ecological balance. Fixed revenue demands and the growth of commercial agriculture led to deforestation, soil degradation, monocropping, and biodiversity loss. Colonial interventions also marginalised indigenous ecological knowledge and redefined human–environment relations in extractive and utilitarian terms. By connecting fiscal administration to environmental change, the article demonstrates that ecological degradation was structurally embedded in colonial governance. It traces the lasting effects of these transformations to the present and highlights the relevance of environmental history for current discussions on sustainability, resource governance, and environmental justice.
Dr. R. JANAKI (Thu,) studied this question.