History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s1.19

v1.c32.s1.19

Following the Deccan tradition rural development was not neglected by the Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Malkhed. The State was directly responsible for the construction of irrigation works largely for religious purpose. After the decline of the Rāṣṭrakūṭas by the last quarter of the tenth century, the Cālukyas of Kalyāṇi rose to power. Unlike their counterparts in the Tamil country, the Cālukyans were not credited with the construction of many irrigation works. Recent excavations remains show that a channel about 300 feet in length connected the lake Sahasraliṅga dug by Sidharāja with the river Sarasvati, which evidently provided the lake with abundant supply of water (MurariKrishna, pp.194-195). Another important interconnected tank ‘Big Tank’ at Kāṭṭageri (Bādāmī tāluk) during the time of Vikramāditya VI is known from a Kannada record (IA, VI, 1877, No. xxxii). The tank is unique in the sense that the method of draining the excess water from a tank at a higher level to the tank at the lower level was successfully applied in this case. The Calukyans had a separate department of water works called Vāri-gṛha-karaṇa which was responsible for the execution and maintenance of irrigation works. The Mahājanas were responsible for collecting taxes and land revenue and utilising the same for the proper maintenance of irrigation works. The tradition set by the early Cola King Karikāla was assiduously followed by the Imperial Colas. This is well confirmed by a network of canals and branch channels from the Kaveri, besides a number of reservoirs of immense size. Canals and branch channels were dug from the Kaveri to cover the entire Kaveri delta. With the expansion of the Cola empire, the irrigation activities also increased manifold under the State patronage. In the absence of natural streams, recourse was preferred to tanks, and the bulk of the evidence on irrigation from the inscriptions relates to the care bestowed on the proper maintenance of the tanks. The agency responsible for the maintenance work was the village assembly. It consisted of several committees, of which the committee for the “Supervision of tanks” (eri-vāriyam) was one. This body consisted of six members who held office for 360 days and then retired. The famous Uttiramerur inscriptions (ANRIE, Nos. 83 & 84 of 1898; ANRASI, 1903-1904) (Cingleput district) of Parāntaka I give an elaborate description of the rules regarding the composition of this Committee. The eri-vāriyam was in the main concerned with raising of resources and their utilization for the maintenance of irrigation works. There was another committee called the ‘Sluice Committee’ (Kalingu Vāriyam) under the village assembly.