question_answer

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Irrigating trees and fields

This is an excerpt from the Baburnama that describes the irrigation devices the emperor observed in Northern India:

The greater part of Hindustan country is situated on level land. Many though its towns and cultivated lands are, it nowhere has running waters. For water is not at all a necessity in cultivating crops and orchards. Autumn crops grow by the downpour of the rains themselves; and strange it is that spring crops grow even when no rains fall. (However) to young trees water is made to flow by means of buckets or wheels....

In Lahore, Dipalpur (both in present-day Pakistan) and those other parts, people water by means of a wheel. They make two circles of rope long enough to suit the depths of the well, fix strips of wood between them, and on these fasten pitchers. The ropes with the wood and attached pitchers are put over the wheel-well. At one end of the wheel-axle a second wheel is fixed, and close to it another on an upright axle. The last wheel the bullock turns; its teeth catch in the teeth of the second (wheel), and thus the wheel with the pitchers is turned. A trough is set where the water empties from the pitchers and from this the water is conveyed everywhere.

In Agra, Chandwar, Bayana (all in present-day Uttar Pradesh) and those parts again, people water with a bucket. At the well-edge they set up a fork of wood, having a roller adjusted between the forks, tie a rope to a large bucket, put the rope over a roller, and tie its other end to the bullock. One person must drive the bullock, another empty the bucket.

(i) Explain the irrigation technology as observed by the Emperor.

(ii) What was the necessity of irrigation?

(iii) Explain any three factors which are responsible for the expansion of agriculture in India.

 

Answer:

(i) The Emperor observed that technology used for irrigation was that people water by means of a wheel. They make two circles of rope to suit the depth of the well, fix strips of wood between them, and on this fasten pitchers (Earthen pot Ghara). Such ropes are put over the wheel-well. At one end of the wheel axle, a second wheel is fixed. And close to it another on an upright axle. The last wheel the bullock turns and thus the wheel with pitchers is turned. A trough is set where the water empties from the pitchers and from this water is conveyed everywhere.

(ii) Most of Hindustan country is situated on level land. This had many towns and cultivated lands, but nowhere has running water. As per Baburnama, water was not at all a necessity in cultivating crops and orchards. Autumn crops are grown by downpour of rains themselves; and spring crops grow even in absence of rainfall.

(iii) (a) During Mughal reign, India was basically an agricultural country. A limited type of crop was produced.

(b) Mughals encouraged peasants to cultivate variety of crops which brought in revenue, especially cotton and sugarcane.

(c) Cotton was mainly grown in vast area which was spread over Central India and the Deccan plateau, whereas in Bengal mainly sugarcane was produced.

(d) Many variety of cash crops such as oilseeds including mustards and lentils

(e) An average peasant of that time grew both commercial and subsistence crops.