<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>As a measure of reducing the foreign trade deficit and to augment the usable land for commercial plantations, nineteenth century British authorities attempted to restore the irrigation system that prevailed in Sri Lanka since the Early Historic Period. In so doing, neither the system components were subjected to any hydraulic engineering analysis nor the entire systems were studied in a holistic context. The open well structure, called <italic>bisokotuva</italic>, of the ancient sluices was interpreted as the equivalent of the modern valve pits. With this understanding, ancient sluices were restored by installing the flow control gates inside the <italic>bisokotuva</italic>s. This article argues that such understanding was not based on the actual physical remains of the ancient works but was due to the colonial precept of controlled flows of irrigated water. It also discusses similar cases in several other Asian countries and how such assertions affected the European understanding on the Asian societies.</p>
</abstract>

As a measure of reducing the foreign trade deficit and to augment the usable land for commercial plantations, nineteenth century British authorities attempted to restore the irrigation system that prevailed in Sri Lanka since the Early Historic Period. In so doing, neither the system components were subjected to any hydraulic engineering analysis nor the entire systems were studied in a holistic context. The open well structure, called bisokotuva, of the ancient sluices was interpreted as the equivalent of the modern valve pits. With this understanding, ancient sluices were restored by installing the flow control gates inside the bisokotuvas. This article argues that such understanding was not based on the actual physical remains of the ancient works but was due to the colonial precept of controlled flows of irrigated water. It also discusses similar cases in several other Asian countries and how such assertions affected the European understanding on the Asian societies.

Colonial Impacts on Water Supplies: An Historical Review of Sluice Technologies in Ancient Sri Lankan Irrigation

HoST - Journal  of History of Science and Technology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

As a measure of reducing the foreign trade deficit and to augment the usable land for commercial plantations, nineteenth century British authorities attempted...

Colonial Impacts on Water Supplies: An Historical Review of Sluice Technologies in Ancient Sri Lankan Irrigation

Published Online: Jun 24, 2022

Page range: 99 - 120

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/host-2022-0006

Keywords
ancient irrigation systems, colonial interpretations, sluice technologies, Asian historical studies

© 2022 Chandana Jayawardana, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Colonial Impacts on Water Supplies: An Historical Review of Sluice Technologies in Ancient Sri Lankan Irrigation

Published Online: Jun 24, 2022

Page range: 99 - 120

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/host-2022-0006

Keywordsancient irrigation systems, colonial interpretations, sluice technologies, Asian historical studies

© 2022 Chandana Jayawardana, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
ancient irrigation systems, colonial interpretations, sluice technologies, Asian historical studies