Constructing Contemporary Konkaṇ

Is trans-Sahyadri Konkan relevant today ? At some point in history, Konkan did perhaps occupy a vast swathe of land across the ancient mountains. But contemporary Konkan – the territory where Konkani is spoken as the native language - includes much less - some districts, wholly or partly, of Maharashtra and Karnataka, besides the whole of Goa. But leaving out Goa, all other Konkani areas, Sindhudurga, Ratnagiri and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, and Uttar Kannada, Udupi, Belgaum, Dharwad, Shimoga and Dakshin Kannada districts of Karnataka include trans-Sahyadri territories. These vestiges of the trans-Sahyadri Konkan are not just of a historical significance; they make Konkan ecologically self-contained, and therefore make eminent economic and social sense. Perhaps this would have been the case of Goa too; though the Portuguese acquired Goa with a trans-Sahyadri complement, they chose to cede that away, probably for administrative reasons.