History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s1.1

v1.c32.s1.1

Irrigation is the artificial application or method of supplying water to crops in countries where the rainfall is insufficient or comes in the wrong season. There are two types of irrigation, natural and artificial. The former is obtained through rivers, lakes, springs and rainfall and the latter type is by human effort in the form of excavated tanks, lakes, pools, wells, dams, embankments, etc. These two systems of irrigation were in vogue in India from the earliest times. The pre-historic food-gatherers of India turned out to be “International producers” in the Neolithic age itself (Krishnaswami, 1959, p.1).