“In the name of eminent domain”: A historical and colonial perspective to land governance and land struggles in India

Ranjan K. Ghosh and Satish Y. Deodhar

IIMA Working Papers from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department

Abstract: This paper traces the historical evolution of land governance in India leading up to the Land Acquisition Act (LAA) of 1894, situating it within broader colonial need of economic extraction. It explores how British land policies enabled the forced cultivation of opium and establishment of tea plantations to correct Britain’s trade imbalance with China and sustain global dominance. These extractive systems, rooted in the doctrine of eminent domain, dispossessed millions and fuelled the indentured labour system. The paper also highlights resistance movements, both armed and non-violent, that arose in response to these injustices. It lays the foundation for examining deeper historical shifts in Indian land tenure.

Date: 2025-06-20
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