23-May-2013
08:42:57 IST
|
NISCAIR ONLINE PERIODICALS REPOSITORY (NOPR) >
NISCAIR PUBLICATIONS >
Research Journals >
Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK) >
IJTK Vol.05 [2006] >
IJTK Vol.05(1) [January 2006] >
| Title: | Traditional agricultural tools—A review |
| Authors: | Das, P K
Nag, D |
| Keywords: | Traditional agricultural tools
Review
Agricultural tools
Traditional artisans |
| Issue Date: | Jan-2006 |
| Publisher: | CSIR |
| IPC Code: | Int. Cl.7: A01B21/00, A01B39/00, A01B39/18, A01B59/00, A01D1/04, E02B11/00, E02B13/00, A01G25/14 |
| Abstract: | Agricultural
tools are as old as the Stone age. They were required to facilitate working and
to increase the productivity of human workers. New tools were developed during
copper, bronze and iron ages. Besides stones, other non-metals like wood,
leather, bamboo and fibres were used in tools but most of them became extinct
with the introduction of iron.
Starting with
the earliest iron Bakhar blade for
tillage in central India after the discovery of iron smelting in mud hearth in
Bastar of Chattisgarh state, agricultural tools were designed and produced in
scores by village blacksmiths. Some of the hand tools made of iron are now
being mass-produced in small-scale industries using modern system of production
for economy and quality.
All trades of
village artisanship in black-smithy, carpentry, cobblery, pottery and other
craft in bamboo, stone, etc. contributed to the design and development of
agricultural tools through artisan’s ingenuity. Examples have been cited here
covering large trades of artisanship. Sickles, Khurpi and other small hand tools were the age-old traditional
devices developed by blacksmiths. Carpenters made the counterpoise to lift
water from wells to irrigate crops. Big size earthenware was made by potters to
store grains for months to be safe from insects and pests. Cobblers were not
left behind. They used whole skins of animals to carry water to irrigate
horticultural crops besides watering dusty roads. Bamboo craftsman also contributed
in developing entire range of food processing and storage structures like sieve
to clean grains, baskets to transport and store vegetables, etc. Stones
craftsman also made mills to grind wheat to make flours and pulses to make Dhal and similarly mortar and pestle to
make paste of spices, etc. Today big mills are making these pastes to
re-introduce the traditional taste and flavour of recipes. A dozen of precision
hand tools are being manufactured for improved quality and finish by a score of
small scale industries; traditional sickles and Khurpi by a million artisan shops in country side and several
manual and animal drawn tools by about 18 thousand small industries. |
| Page(s): | 41-46 |
| ISSN: | 0975-1068 (Online); 0972-5938 (Print) |
| Source: | IJTK Vol.05(1) [January 2006]
|
|
