Western India’s vast savannas often dismissed as bare or degraded land are much older and more ecologically important than previously believed. Western India’s vast savannas often dismissed as bare or degraded land are much older and more ecologically important than previously believed. A new study based on medieval Marathi literature reveals that these open, grassy landscapes have existed for centuries and should be protected in their natural form rather than targeted for unnecessary tree-planting.
Ancient savannas hiding in plain sight
Savannas cover nearly a tenth of India’s land area. These ecosystems include short grasses, thorny trees, drought-resistant shrubs and support pastoral communities as well as wildlife such as the Indian wolf and the Great Indian bustard. More than 200 plant species found only in India thrive in these grasslands.
Despite this, policy documents continue to classify them as “wastelands”, assuming they were once dense forests destroyed by people. The new study strongly challenges this belief.
Medieval literature reveals centuries-old landscapes
Published on November 25, 2025, in People and Nature the study by Ashish N Nerlekar of Michigan State University and Digvijay Patil of IISER Pune uses an unusual source of ecological evidence: saints’ biographies, poems, oral traditions and regional retellings of mythological stories written in Marathi over 750 years ago. Published in People and Nature, the study by Ashish N Nerlekar of Michigan State University and Digvijay Patil of IISER Pune uses an unusual source of ecological evidence: saints’ biographies, poems, oral traditions and regional retellings of mythological stories written in Marathi over 750 years ago.
The researchers traced each plant mentioned in these texts and matched them to modern botanical species. They found 44 species, two-thirds of which are characteristic of savannas.
Crucially, many of these plants still exist in the same regions today. This reveals a continuous connection between medieval landscapes and the present-day Deccan savannas.
Historical examples that match today’s grasslands
Several descriptions from the literature mirror the savannas visible today. A 16th-century retelling of the Adi Parva describes the Nira River valley as “empty” and “thorny”, chosen by cowherds for its rich grass. A 16th-century retelling of the Adi Parva describes the Nira River valley as “empty” and “thorny”, chosen by cowherds for its rich grass. The terrain closely matches the dry, spiky savanna habitats across western Maharashtra.
A 15th-century account from Pandharpur refers to a tarati plant growing from a saint’s grave. Botanists identify this as Capparis divaricata a shrub found only in bright, open landscapes exactly the type found in the Deccan savannas.
The acacia Vachellia leucophloea mentioned repeatedly by the 13th-century philosopher Chakradhara, still grows widely in the region. Its pale bark and thorny branches are typical savanna markers, not traits of closed forests.
Why the findings matter for conservation today
The study concludes that the savannas of western India are not degraded forests waiting to regenerate. They are ancient ecosystems shaped by climate, fire, grazing and cultural practices over centuries. Treating them as damaged forests fuels harmful policies.
For example, many tropical savannas are targeted for mass tree-planting under the assumption that they were once dense forests. But planting dense trees in natural grasslands can wipe out native plants, disrupt fire cycles, harm wildlife and destroy habitats that depend on sunlight.
Researchers argue that India must recognise savannas as distinct ecosystems with their own biodiversity not as empty spaces that need trees.
What policymakers and conservationists should do
Nerlekar told Down To Earth that despite years of ecological research, policymakers still rely on colonial-era beliefs that valued timber and described open landscapes as degraded. The evidence from familiar cultural sources, he said, should encourage decision-makers to rethink these outdated assumptions.
The authors recommend that governments avoid blanket tree-planting drives, map and protect savanna species, and support traditional grazing practices that maintain open grasslands. They also suggest that folklore and classical literature be used as valid ecological sources alongside archaeology and field studies.
The research team plans to help scholars across India and other countries build similar ecological histories using local stories and classical texts.