UPSC Prelims 2026 Q10: Rigvedic Wells, Irrigation & Draught Animals
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 supports/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.
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- 1 and 3 only
- 3 only
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Statement-wise explanation
- I: correct — This is the claim the evidence must support. In the Rigveda, wells (avata, kupa) appear alongside farming. Wells let cultivation move away from river flood plains into the Punjab–Haryana plains, where groundwater lies close to the surface. Irfan Habib makes this argument in *A People's History of India 3: The Vedic Age*.
- II: correct — This is the second claim: animals, not only people, supplied the power to lift water from wells. A pulley-and-bucket system at the well-head could be worked by oxen. Item 3's evidence on oxen is what makes this claim credible.
- 1: correct — The Rigveda's farming hymn in Book 10 (10.101) names the well (avata), the stone pulley wheel (ashma chakra), the strap (varatra) and the pails (ahava). This is direct textual proof of a water-lifting device at wells, so it supports Statement I. A pulley built for heavy, repeated lifting also fits Statement II's idea of animal power.
- 2: incorrect — The axe (parashu/kulisha) and sickle (datra/sreni) are tools for clearing land and harvesting crops. They show that farming existed. They say nothing about wells, water-lifting or animal power. The statement is accurate in itself but does not support either claim.
- 3: correct — Oxen were draught animals long before the Rigveda. Early Harappan Kalibangan (Rajasthan) has a ploughed field with criss-cross furrows from the early 3rd millennium BCE. Banawali (Haryana) has yielded terracotta plough models, and terracotta bullock-cart models are common at Harappan sites. A society already using oxen to plough and to pull carts could plausibly use them to draw water, so this supports Statement II.
How to eliminate
This is a 'which evidence supports' question. Do not ask whether an item is true. Ask whether it is relevant to the two claims, which are wells/irrigation and animal power. Item 2 is plainly about clearing and harvesting tools, so it drops out on relevance alone. That rules out the two options that include item 2. Item 1 names a pulley and pails for drawing water, which bears directly on the claims, so it must be in the answer. That rules out '3 only'. Only '1 and 3' is left. Item 3 also passes the relevance test, since earlier ox use for ploughing and carting backs up animal power. You can solve this without knowing the Rigvedic terms, just by checking each item against the claims.
Know more
Rigvedic economy: pastoral first, farming growing
The Early Vedic period (c. 1500–1000 BCE) was a shift from pastoralism towards settled farming. Cattle were the main form of wealth. Gavishti ('search for cows') meant war, and gotra ('cow-pen') came to mean a kin group. Farming was still present. The plough appears in a Rigvedic hymn, and Book 10's farming hymn (10.101) describes yoking ploughs and drawing water from a well.
Water-lifting vocabulary in the Rigveda
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Avata / Kupa | Dug well |
| Ashma chakra | Stone pulley wheel at the well-head |
| Varatra | Strap or rope |
| Ahava | Pail or trough for the water |
| Langala / Sira | Plough |
| Datra / Sreni | Sickle |
Why wells mattered. Farming that depends on floods is limited to river banks. Wells opened up the Punjab–Haryana interfluves, where groundwater was shallow.
Pre-Vedic draught animals
| Evidence | Site |
|---|---|
| Ploughed field, criss-cross furrows (early 3rd millennium BCE) | Kalibangan, Rajasthan |
| Terracotta plough models | Banawali (Haryana), Cholistan |
| Terracotta bullock-cart models | Many Harappan sites |
Later Vedic contrast (c. 1000–600 BCE). Farming became central. Later texts refer often to iron implements and to many more crops. The Gangetic plain was opened up for cultivation.
Exam skill. In 'which information supports' questions, test each item for relevance to the claims, not just for truth.