Colonialism and Its Impact on Indigenous Knowledge Systems in India: A Historical Perspective

Abstract: - This paper analyses the impact of colonialism on India's indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) from a Historical perspective. Indigenous knowledge in India, which encompasses traditional practices in agriculture, medicine, ecology, and social organisation, has always played a cardinal role in community life and cultural identity. The arrival of British colonial rule resulted in a major rift by forcing Western scientific views and dismantling local knowledge as illogical, inferior or superstitious. Using secondary data, colonial archives, and sociological theories about colonialism, cultural ascendancy, and knowledge production, the study focuses on how colonial rule changed and how IKS is shared, its social status, and how it is regarded. It also analyses Indigenous opposition and revival movements after independence that aim to retrieve control over knowledge and cultural heritage. The findings reveal ongoing discussions about identity, social justice, and knowledge diversity in modern India. They emphasise the need to consider indigenous knowledge in larger educational and development plans for a sustainable future.