History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c28.s3: IV
History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c28.s3
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IV
v1.c28.s3.1
From the 7th century A.D. to 11th century A.D., the fisheries declined. We get only one reference of fish production in Rajpur Kingdom of North India. The text of ‘Matsyavinoda’ in ‘Mānasollāsa’ written by king Śomeśvara in 1127 A.D. is the first known treatise on the art of angling in India. He classified fishes according to their habitat and size. He dealt with those fishes that are common in the sport of angling.
v1.c28.s3.2
The tackle for angling is dealt with by king Someśvara under the heading - line, hook and rod. He suggested that the rod, line, hook and bait have to be adjusted according to the nature of the water, size of fish and their feeding habits.
v1.c28.s3.3
Someśvara’s advice on fishing is of interest:
v1.c28.s3.4
(1) Ground Bait : He considers regular ground baiting as a necessary condition preceding actual fishing.
v1.c28.s3.5
(2) Tackle : The examination of the tackle to be used for fishing is Someśvara’s next instruction. He advises that one should determine the length and thickness of the cord and rod by taking into consideration the depth of the water and the size of the fish. He further says that the size of the hook should be consistent with the length of the cord.
v1.c28.s3.6
(3) *A Quill Float* : A float in the form of peacock-feather should be tied in the middle of the cord to watch its movement when the fish touches the bait.
v1.c28.s3.7
(4) *Bait* : Flour or meat, whatever is liked by a particular fish desired for sport, should be put on the hook as a bait.
v1.c28.s3.8
(5) *Striking a fish* : As soon as the movement of the feather is noticed, the angler should strike with a sharp pull.
v1.c28.s3.9
(6) *Playing as fish* : When a fish gets entangled on the fishing hook, it becomes very vigorous. One should haul it up, as soon as it gets exhausted, taking care that the cord does not give way.
v1.c28.s3.10
Thus it seems probable that Someśvara’s ‘*Matsyavinoda*’ probably contains the accumulative knowledge about fishes and fisheries of the later half of the 10th century, the whole of the 11th century and nearly three decades of the 12th century. In any case, the knowledge recorded is remarkably accurate and instructive and could be used in pond cultural practices to which considerable attention is now being paid in India.
v1.c28.s3.11
The justification for the present compilation of the hitherto known but scattered facts is that enmasse, they may furnish a better prospective of fisheries science in ancient India.
Linked texts (1)
- Mānasollāsa (Abhilaṣitārthacintāmaṇi) — Someśvara III, Sanskrit