This paper explores the numerous methods of water harvesting in the semi-arid and arid conditions of Rajasthan. Considering the erratic nature of monsoon dependent rains, a closer examination of the traditional agricultural practices in pre-colonial Rajasthan suggest a certain level of plasticity inherent in their approach. It is evident in numerous methods of water harvesting, both for drinking and agricultural purposes. This paper simultaneously examines the role of a highly stratified community and state to bring out the complexity of their interactions with respect to various users/uses of water in pre-colonial Rajasthan. Usual questions of level of technology in pre-colonial times are being examined in terms of relevance and appropriateness for a given geographical and social landscape. The dynamics of agrarian production necessitated delineations of very complex interface between community participation and state intervention in the methods of water management. At a larger level this paper also tries to draw insights for the contemporary concerns.

The earth is sometimes called the watery planet, as this is the only planet in the solar system, which has an abundant supply of water. Water is used as a raw material for various metabolic processes. It is an important ecological factor. Recent studies on development politics have raised concern over the ever increasing population and simultaneous increase in the demand for the natural resources. Among the natural resources nonrenewable ones had been a cause of concern since long, but of late, once abundantly available natural resources like water have also raised deep concern.

Monsoons define the agricultural map of India. It characterizes the nature of agrarian economy in the Indian subcontinent (Refer physical Map of India as Figure 1). Even in this age of technology any attempt to undermine its influence on the Indian economy will only be to negate the true understanding of Indian agriculture. The significance of monsoons attains enhanced value for any region devoid of snow-fed perennial rivers of the Himalayas. A very significant but often neglected role played by monsoons have been to replenish the aquifers exhausted during the non-monsoon seasons which comprises literally three-fourth of every year. Although replenishable with the good monsoons, we still need to be very careful to realize the renewable and nonrenewable nature of water resources in temporal and spatial dimensions. Environmentalists believe that like fossil fuels, these aquifers are nature's assets, which no one should draw upon. As any entrepreneur knows, we should instead rely on income-renewable sources, which are the rains in this instance. As such, South Asia is the only truly monsoon region in the world, where the bulk falls in three months and has to be conserved for the remaining nine months. These characteristics of monsoons and its bearings on agriculture have been mediated by the level of technology and prevalent social norms. Social understandings of the nature of monsoons and capability of technology have defined the nature of agricultural production and practices. These characteristics of monsoons have traditionally been adapted upon by the society and agricultural practices have been devised accordingly.

History and Culture Journal, Water Management, Traditional Agricultural Practices, Natural Resources, Social norms, Agricultural Production, Environmental Degradation, Social Management, Environmental Constraints, Technological Developments, Traditional Societies.