Soil Care and Land Use in Ancient India Protection du sol et

Scientific registration n° : 470
Symposium n° : 45
Presentation : oral
Soil Care and Land Use in Ancient India
Protection du sol et utilisation des terres dans l'Inde
ancienne
ABROL Inder P, TRIPATHI Ravi S, GUPTA Raj K
Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains, C/o. ICRISAT, 23 Golf Links, New
Delhi - 110 003, India
The ancient Indian cultivators were a prosperous and respectable section of society. There is
sufficient evidence to indicate that they had good scientific knowledge about the weather and
rainfall regimes, land and soil types, irrigation techniques and the management needs for
production of specific crops in micro ecological context. The vast knowledge acquired by
experience was transferred from generation to generation through intelligently moulded vedic
hymns, maxims, proverbs and through written manuscripts. It is the objective of this paper to
provide an historical account of the state of knowledge on some aspects of soil care and land
use in ancient India (before 1200 AD). A historical perspective of fertility management of
Indian soils was presented in an earlier communication (Abrol 1990).
In vast areas covering Indus Valley Civilization (3000-1500 BC) there is evidence of
protection measures against annual flooding, irrigation to secure increased crop yields and
drainage of large alluvial areas as a prerequisite to valley’s prosperity. The vedic hymns,
particularly those in Rig-Veda and early Hindu texts (800-600 BC) contain several notes on
irrigated agriculture, river courses, water reservoirs, wells and water lifting structures.
Arthshastra, a treatise on Government and economics in ancient India ascribed to Kautilya,
the chief advisor to India’s first emperor, Chandragupta Maurya (315-291 BC) provides
detailed descriptions on land and soil classification in relation to productivity and outlines
stringent rules which enabled differential assessment of production systems to meet the needs
of the State and of the cultivators. Cultivated areas not dependent on rainfall, were valued
more than areas dependent on rains. A further classification based on water regimes, and
suitability for different uses e.g. orchards, vegetables etc. was made. According to Kautilya,
therefore, the king who is pledged to the welfare of his subjects should examine the earth
which is best suited for productivity of rich harvests. Kautilya strongly emphasized the value
of human resources, efforts and organization. On the relative value of different categories of
land, he argued that land is what is made of it by people.
Key words : soil classification, crop management, land use, history, ancient India
Mots clés : classification des sols, gestion des cultures, utilisation des terres, histoire, Inde
ancienne
References : Abrol, I.P. 1990. Fertility management of Indian Soils - a historical perspective.
14th International Congress of Soil Science. Transaction Vol 5, pp 203-207