A History of Agriculture in India v2.c77.s4: Water Plants
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c77.s4
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Water Plants
v2.c77.s4.1
'The Singhara is a triangular fruit; its creeper grows in tanks, and the fruit is on the surface of the water. It is eaten raw or roasted.
v2.c77.s4.2
'The Salak grows in tanks under the earth. They go into the water and dig it up.
v2.c77.s4.3
'The Pindalu is reared on lattice work, and grows about two yards (1.83 m) high. Its leaf resembles the betel leaf; they dig up the root.
v2.c77.s4.4
‘The *Kaseru* grows in tanks. When the water gets low, they take it out of the ground and eat it, raw or boiled.
v2.c77.s4.5
‘The *Siyali* root is long and conical; the plant is a creeper, to whose root the fruit is attached.’¹
v2.c77.s4.6
Abu-l-Fazl mentions the names of eighteen vegetables and the seasons in which they were grown. He states, The *surans* and the *siyatis* are in season during summer; the *palwals*, gourds, the *tura*, the *is*, the *kachalus*, the *chachindas*, the *kanduris*, the *senbs*, the *peths*, the *karilas*, the *kakuras*, and the *singharas* during the rains; and carrots, the *salaks*, the *pindalus*, and the *kaserus* during winter. The *badinjans* are to be had throughout the year.¹ Some of the vegetables mentioned by Abu-l-Fazl, which are still grown in India, are shown in Figs. 37 and 38.
v2.c77.s4.7
¹ Abu-l-Fazl, *Ain-i-Akbari*, pp. 68-76
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FIG. 37. Some of the vegetables grown in the reign of Akbar, mentioned in the *Ain-i-Akbari*. i. *Surans*, Zamin-kand (*Amorphophallus campanulatus*), ii. *Kachalu* (*Colocasia esculenta*), iii. *Singhara* (*Trapa bispinosa*), iv. *Adrak*, ginger (*Zingiber officinale*), v. *Parval*, snake-gourd (*Trichosanthes anguina*)
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FIG. 38. Some of the vegetables grown in the reign of Akbar mentioned in the *Ain-i-Akbari* i. *Baingan*, eggplant (*Solanum melongena*), ii. *Karela*, bitter-gourd (*Momordica charantia*), iii. *Khira*, cucumber (*Cucumis sativus*), iv. *Kaddu*, pumpkin (*Cucurbita maxima*), v. *Petha* (*Benincasa hispida*), Note the absence of cabbages and cauliflowers, which were introduced by the British in the eighteenth century