Introduction

1.Variety and Seasonality: The Ain-i-Akbari, authored by Abul Fazal, provides a detailed account of the diversity in agriculture during the Mughal era. It lists revenue rates for sixteen rabi (winter) crops in the Agra province, noting three additional crops not cultivated in certain areas, and details twenty-five kharif (monsoon) season crops, with two not grown in some regions.

2.Introduction of New Crops: The period also saw the introduction of crops from the New World, such as tobacco and maize, which were integrated into the Indian agricultural landscape.

Irrigation Techniques

Traditional and Artificial Irrigation

While traditional methods continued, there was significant use of artificial irrigation to supplement natural rainfall and flooding.

Main Sources of Irrigation

1.Wells and Tanks: These were primarily used across India for irrigation purposes.