History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s2.t9.26

v1.c32.s2.t9.26

(ii) *Pulley-wheels* : The earliest reference to ancient Indian pulley-wheels of stone or wood, similar to those used in modern times, found in the *Ṛgveda* (RV. X. 101.7) was known as *aśma cakra*; here the word *aśma* stands for stone. That is, the water was raised by a wheel (*cakra*) of stone (*aśma*) to which was fastened a strap (*varatra*), with a pail (*kośa*) attached to it. When raised it was poured (*siñc*) into buckets (*āhava*) of wood (*RV.* X. 101.7). Sometimes these wells appear to have been used for irrigation purposes, the water being led off into broad channels (*Sūrmi susirā*) (*RV.* VIII. 69.12; Macdonell and Keith, I, p. 40). In the Tamil country, the wells fitted with such pulley- wheels for drawing water from them were known as *kilār*. (*Silappadikāram*, X. 110; *Maduraikāñci*, l. 83). Among the devices invented by the ancients, the pulley-wheel was the simplest one for practical purposes. It was a one-man job to draw water from the well for increasing the flow of water. Obviously, it is the pulley and rope that gave rise to the *mhōte* of Northern India, which was in use for irrigating fields, the rope being drawn by bullocks.