Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period:
- 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.
- Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells.
Which of the following information support/supports the above statements?
- There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water.
- Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu/kulisha (axe) and datra/sreni (sickle).
- 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:
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- 1 and 3 only
- 3 only
Explanation
Statement 1 supports both I and II
- Ashma chakra (a stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) were used to draw water from wells. This supports the idea that well irrigation helped agriculture expand beyond river flood plains.
Statement 2 does not support the statements
- Tools like parashu/kulisha (axe) and datra/sreni (sickle) indicate agricultural and forest-clearing activities, but they do not support irrigation through wells or the use of draught animals for lifting water.
Statement 3 supports Statement II
- Since oxen (draught animals) were already in use for heavy work like ploughing and cart-pulling, it is logical and historically accepted that the same animal power was employed to operate pulleys for drawing water from wells.
- Note: This question is highly inferential and analytical. One has to solve it primarily on the basis of the relationship between the given statements and the supporting evidence rather than through direct factual recall. Such questions show that UPSC is increasingly testing the ability to connect evidence to conclusions through logical inference and elimination, rather than mere factual memorisation.
