History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.361.2

v4.c62.361.2

South Indian Inscriptions show how the Pallavas and kings of other dynasties built tanks which were named after the kings themselves or after some distinguished chief of the locality and that are in existence even now. Vide S. I. I. vol. II part III, p. 351, E. I. vol. IV p. 152 (mention of tank called 'parameśvarataṭāka'), S. I. I. vol. I p. 150, E. I. vol. VIII p. 145 (for mention of rājataṭāka near which four nivartanas were granted by Cārudevī). The great engineer Suyya under Avantivarman of Kashmir (833-858) successfully dammed the river Vitastā with the result that a khārī of rice which could formerly be purchased for 200 *dīnāras* could be had after the great irrigation work for 36 *dīnāras* (vide Rājatarangiṇī V. 84-117). Kauṭilya (II. 24) refers to the various ways in which crops could be raised with water and the revenue to be demanded in each case, e. g. those who watered crops with manual labour had to pay 1/5th of the produce, those who carried water on their shoulders paid ¼th, those who watered their crops by means of water-lifts or water-wheels from natural springs paid one-third and those who raised water from rivers, lakes, tanks and wells paid ¼th. He notes that sugarcane crops are a heavy responsibility, as they are liable to many evils and entail great expense. Sugarcane had been grown even in the times of the Atharvaveda (I. 34. 5). The Śukranītisāra (IV. 4.