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Q.Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow : (1+1+2=4) How tanks were built ? About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote : The king made a tank ... at the mouth of two hills so that all the water which comes from either one side or the other collects there; and, besides this, water comes to it from more than three leagues (approximately 15 kilometres) by pipes which run along the lower parts of the range outside. This water is brought from a lake which itself overflows into a little river. The tank has three large pillars handsomely carved with figures; these connect above with certain pipes by which they get water when they have to irrigate their gardens and rice-fields. In order to make this tank the said king broke down a hill ... In the tank I saw so many people at work that there must have been fifteen or twenty thousand men, looking like ants ... (32.1) Why did Krishnadeva Raya construct a tank ?

(1) (32.2) Why did Krishnadeva Raya choose the location at the mouth of two hills for building the tank ?
(1) (32.3) In what ways was the water from the tanks used ? (2)
CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2024Subjective· 4mImportance★★★★★
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Krishnadeva Raya built the tank to collect and store water for irrigation, choosing a strategic location between two hills to capture natural runoff and channel water from distant sources through an elaborate system of pipes.

The passage from Paes gives us a vivid window into one of the most impressive engineering achievements of the Vijayanagara Empire: the construction of large-scale irrigation tanks. Water management was the lifeblood of the empire's agricultural prosperity, and rulers like Krishnadeva Raya invested enormous resources—both labour and engineering skill—into building these structures. The sheer scale of the project, with fifteen to twenty thousand workers labouring like ants, tells us how seriously the state took the challenge of water security in a landscape that could be harsh and unpredictable.

Krishnadeva Raya's choice of location was anything but accidental. By placing the tank at the mouth of two hills, he ensured that rainwater flowing down both slopes would naturally collect in one place. This was gravity-fed engineering at its best: the hills acted as natural catchment areas, funnelling water into the reservoir without the need for pumping or lifting. But the king didn't stop there. He extended the system by laying pipes over approximately fifteen kilometres to bring water from a distant lake that fed into a small river. This combination of natural topography and human ingenuity—breaking down part of a hill to shape the site, carving ornamental pillars that doubled as functional conduits—shows the sophistication of Vijayanagara hydraulic technology.

Note

The three large carved pillars Paes describes were not merely decorative. They connected to pipes above and served as distribution points, allowing controlled release of water when needed—a blend of aesthetics and utility typical of Vijayanagara architecture.

The water stored in these tanks served essential agricultural purposes. The passage explicitly mentions two primary uses: …

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