Tracing the Historical Trajectory of Land Reclamation in Mumbai and Its
Progressive Alteration of the Koli Community's Legal and Economic
Relationship to Coastal Land

Naasha Mahadevia

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.048

Title: Tracing the Historical Trajectory of Land Reclamation in Mumbai and Its Progressive Alteration of the Koli Community's Legal and Economic Relationship to Coastal Land
Authors: Naasha Mahadevia
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 11 Issue: 8 Publication Date: August 2026 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.048
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Naasha Mahadevia Cathedral and John Connon School Mumbai
MLA 8 Mahadevia, Naasha. "Tracing the Historical Trajectory of Land Reclamation in Mumbai and Its Progressive Alteration of the Koli Community's Legal and Economic Relationship to Coastal Land." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 11, no. 8, Aug. 2026, pp. 4406-4424, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.048. Accessed Aug. 2026. APA 6 Mahadevia, N. (2026, August). Tracing the Historical Trajectory of Land Reclamation in Mumbai and Its Progressive Alteration of the Koli Community's Legal and Economic Relationship to Coastal Land. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 11(8), 4406-4424. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.048 Chicago Mahadevia, Naasha. "Tracing the Historical Trajectory of Land Reclamation in Mumbai and Its Progressive Alteration of the Koli Community's Legal and Economic Relationship to Coastal Land." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 11, no. 8 (August 2026), 4406-4424. Accessed August, 2026. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.048.
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ABSTRACT: Mumbai is one of the most important trade centers, not just in India, but in the world. Once under the rule of colonial powers like the Portuguese and the British, the city and its dwellers have seen many changes in its topography and demography. This essay will explore one element of this history; the evolution of the ‘original residents’ of the city and fisherfolks, the Koils, and their relationship with the sea. The research will explore this dynamic with respect to modification of sea-spaces and their change in their use under colonial and post-independent regimes and try to grasp how the Kolis negotiated and adjusted to this intervention in their ancient homes and fishing ground, largely without their opinions or consents from the vantage points of economics, infrastructural development and legality. Ultimately, the paper aims to trace the intertwined history of the Koli people with the seas, for it is also the history of Mumbai and millions of people who call it home through socio-historical analysis and first-person accounts.

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