Indian Science and Technology

2020-04-27 12:11:42

Technological Improvements

Increase in irrigation sources
! Keres or tanks in south Karnataka;
- ! nadi (river), pushkarni (tank), srota (water channels) in Bengal;
- ! Arghatta wells in western Rajasthan were used;
- ! vapis (step wells) in Gujarat and Rajasthan
Water lifts operated by man and animal power was used for irrigation
Flood control, damning of river was done
Ruling family initiated such projects as it was seen as a religious merit
were maintained by Ur or Sabhas and had specially appointed committee who collected cesses.
Inscription from Ajmer mentions a big plough
Vrikshayarveda mentions steps to cure diseases of trees
Arghatta and Ghatiyantra were water lifting devices.
- $ Krishisukti mentions that the Ghatiyantra employed by oxen are the best, then by elephants then Humans.
Knowledge about weather condition and their use has been mentioned in Gurusamhita and Krishinarashwara
Shunyapurana mentions 50 kinds of paddy cultivated in Bengal. Rajashekhara mentions sugarcane of north bengal.
Marco Polo has mentioned demand of Indian spices in China, ginger in Europe and harvesting of 3 crops and rotation being widely practiced.