History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s2.t9.34

v1.c32.s2.t9.34

The principle of the well-known *picotaḥ* is the same as that of the balance and certainly goes back to early historic times. The change from the system of animal power to mechanical was doubtless an achievement, but the output was limited by the depth of the well. The *picotaḥ* with its rhythm of rise and fall, dip and empty, to which the ancient labourer must have sung as does his modern counterpart, can prove to be much more quicker and efficient than any non-mechanical type of water-lift.