The irrigation works in ancient Sri Lanka were some of the most complex

irrigation system Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has be ...

s of the

ancient world Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...

. The earliest examples of irrigation works in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

date from about 430 BCE, during the reign of King Pandukabhaya, and were under continuous development for the next thousand years. In addition to constructing underground

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

s, the Sinhalese were the first to build completely artificial reservoirs to store

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

, referred to as

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

s (Sinhala: , , romanized: ). The system was extensively restored and further extended during the reign of King Parākramabāhu (1153–1186 CE). The first tank which can be identified with certainty was built by King Pandukabhaya, who reigned from 437 to 367 BC. It is said that he had three tanks built, namely , , and . Of these, only one, , can be identified with an extant tank, . Long after King Pandukabhaya, King Parākramabāhu I had many tanks built, with one large tank called still providing significant water for agriculture. Many rulers of Sri Lanka contributed to the development and construction of tanks all over the Raja Rata, the northern part of the country. Henry Parker, ''Ancient Ceylon'', London-Luzca & Co., First Published by the India Office (1909). pp. 347-412. Some tanks were either individually - owned or granted on lease.

References

External links

Sena de Silva, Reservoirs of Sri Lanka and their fisheries

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...

, 1998
FAO - Protection and revival of Ancient Irrigation Systems in Sri Lanka
Irrigation works Agriculture in Sri Lanka Irrigation in Sri Lanka {{SriLanka-stub

See also

References

External links