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Lord Mahāvira and His Times placards. Wealthy cultivators kept watchmen who guarded their fields day and night.2
Crops were also damaged by natural calamities like drought and flood.3 Their references are found in many a literary work. Famines are known to have broken out in the countries of Uttarāpathao, Kosala, 5 and Dakkhiņāvaha. Pāțaliputra,? Kanchanapura, 8 and Srāvastī suffered considerable loss due to floods.
Arrangements were made for irrigating the fields by drawing water from tanks and wells, the remains of which have been discovered in the archaeological excavations conducted at Ujjain, Vaiśālī, etc. There were engineers who constructed canals for watering the fields." The sākyas and the Koliyas had made a dam on the river Rohinī,10 an example which might have been followed by others elsewhere too.
Agriculture depended upon cattle comprising cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, asses, camels, pigs, and dogs. The possession of these animals meant a sort of wealth for the people. In fact, cattle-rearing was one of their main occupations. The pasture grounds were known as gochara. During the day time, cattle were taken out to the grazing-land by the cowherds (Gopalakas) and returned by the evening to the people.
There were large cow-pens (gomandava) where the herds. . of cows, bulls, and calves were kept. Cattle-lifters (kūdaggaha) often went to the cow-pen and robbed the cattle at night.12.
1. Jā, I. 153; IV. 282-3. 2. Ibid, II. 110; III. 52; IV: 277. 3. Argu, III. 104; Jā, II. 135, 149, 367; V. 401; VI. 487. 4. Ảua. chủ, p. 396. 5. Vya. Bhū, 10. 557-60. 6. Ava. Chi, p. 404. 7. Kalyan Vijaya, l'ira Nirvana, p. 42 ff. 8. 10. 450. 9. Dhp, 80; Theragā, 19, 877. 10. Kunāla Jů, (No. 536). 11. Viva, ?, P. 14 f.
