The issues related with land have been a topic of concern ever since human beings started the settled life. Though the degrees might differ, the history of land management and its administration always has only two major stakeholders, the “giver” and the “taker”, be the tax, cess, oppression, grief or anything. Things have not changed much even after the embracing of democratic governments in power. If “lawlessness” was a problem in the past the multitude of laws is the problem at present. Both the “giver” and “taker” are finding it difficult to manage the issues connected with land amidst the pressure on land inflicted by ever increasing density of population.
The first known record of professional administration and management of land is the Malabar Manual written by Mr. William Logan in 1887 published publication commissioned by the Government of Madras, and originally published in two volumes, covering the territorial limits of erstwhile Malabar Province of Madras Presidency. In 1906 a similar type of Manual was published by Travancore State written by Mr. Nagam Aiya with name The Travancore State Manual. With the efforts of Mr. C Achutha Menon in 1911 the Cochin State published The Cochin State Manual; thereby paving way for the complete geographical coverage of entire land area of State of Kerala. This e Book named “A prelude to Kerala Land Revenue Manual” is a similar kind of compiled guidelines being published after more than 100 years and it might be a good source of information for the forthcoming “Kerala Land Revenue Manual".