Official Question UPSC 2026
Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period : I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to expand away from flood plains and strips on river margins into the present Punjab and Haryana plains having underground water levels reasonably close to the surface. II. Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells. Which of the following information support/supports the above statements ? 1. There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water. 2. Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu / kulisha (axe) and datra / sreni (sickle). 3. There is a history of the use of ox, even before the Rigveda, for ploughing the land and pulling the carts. Select the answer using the code given below :
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
This question requires matching textual evidence to specific technological assertions regarding Rigvedic agriculture:
•Evaluating Information 1: The assertion claims that well irrigation allowed agrarian expansion. Information 1 provides explicit textual proof from the Rigveda: the ashma chakra (stone pulley) and ahava (wooden pails) are specialized tools engineered exclusively for drawing water from deep shafts. This directly supports Assertion I.
•Evaluating Information 2: The Rigveda indeed mentions the parashu (axe) and datra (sickle). However, these are tools for forest clearance and crop harvesting. They offer absolutely no mechanical utility or evidence regarding the lifting of water from wells. Thus, it does not support the specific assertions being tested.
•Evaluating Information 3: Assertion II claims draught animals were used to lift water. Information 3 establishes that the domestication of oxen for heavy mechanical labor (ploughing, cart pulling) pre-dated the Rigveda. This historical precedent logically supports the viability of Assertion II, confirming they possessed the animal horsepower necessary to operate heavy well-pulleys.
Conclusion: Information 1 and 3 directly validate the mechanical assertions regarding well irrigation.