Page 2 - Jan-Mar 2015

Down the Ages

Water architecture was an important feature of ancient and medieval periods in India. Right from the Indus Valley
Civilization to the British period, dams, tanks, canals, wells, and stepwells were constructed to meet the water needs of
people. Rudimentary forms of water harvesting were also in place ever since ancient times.
DID YOU KNOW?
HISTORY OF WATER STORAGE IN INDIA Chakrapani Mishra was a great
water expert of his time. Under the
HISTOrICal PErIOd MEaNS Of WaTEr CONSErVaTION patronage of Maharana Pratap, his
work Vishwa Vallabha (16th Century
iNDus ValleY • Evidence of irrigation and drinking water AD) gave a detailed account of
CiViliZaTiON supply systems. water and its relationship with
• Wells made of strong bricks. plant ecology.
• Rainwater harvesting.
• Many houses had individual wells. AcTIvITY -
MaurYaN eMPire • Dams and bunds were built for irrigation. IF I WERE A kING !
• Taxes were levied for using common
sources of water. imagine yourself to be a king of any
• Evidence of privately owned tanks and one of the ancient dynasties of india.
reservoirs. what kind of system would you have
introduced for conserving water? give
saTVahaNa eMPire • Introduction of brick and ring wells.
two reasons in support of your answer.
ChOlas, Cheras aND • Lake and well irrigation was developed on
PaNDYa KiNgDOMs a large scale.
PallaVa KiNgDOM • Large scale construction of tanks for
tapping rainwater was built throughout
the Tamil country.
• Construction of the Cauveri Anicut.
ViJaYaNagara • The famous Korangal dam was built by
KiNgDOM king Krishnadevaraya.
• The Anatraj Sagar tank was built along the
Maldevi river.

raJPuT DYNasTY • Promoted irrigation works in north India.
TughlaQ DYNasTY • Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq Illustration by: Oshi Agarwal, IX, Suditi Global Academy,
encouraged the farmers to build their own Etawah
systems for rainwater harvesting.
• Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq built the Matsya Purana
western Yamuna Canal. says that a wise
man always digs a
Mughal PeriOD • Emperor Shah Jahan built many canals well!
including the hasli canal.
• Emperor Muhammad Shah Rangeela built
the eastern Yamuna Canal.
briTish PeriOD • Large scale construction of water channels
using advanced engineering techniques.

Illustration by: Deepanshu Gupta, VII, Swami
Vivekananda Public School, Jagadhari

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