Description
An Encroaching Sea: Nature, Sovereignty and Development at the Edge of British India investigates the profound environmental and political transformations along British India’s coasts during the late colonial period. Devika Shankar traces how rising seas, erosion, and flooding became entangled with questions of imperial sovereignty, economic development, and local autonomy between 1860 and 1950.
Drawing on archival research and environmental history, the book reveals how natural phenomena were interpreted through colonial frameworks while simultaneously challenging imperial authority. The study examines the experiences of coastal communities, the role of scientific knowledge, and competing visions for development as the British Raj confronted environmental change. By analyzing this pivotal period, Shankar demonstrates how environmental crises became sites of negotiation between colonizers and colonized, shaping modern India’s relationship with its coastlines and natural resources.
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