A Note on Excavation‑work by Medieval Bengalees

Summary

Rames Basu turns to literary sources to show that medieval Bengali rulers undertook excavation projects, including the dredging of canals, the construction of reservoirs and the clearance of silted rivers. Quoting chroniclers and inscriptions, he argues that these works were driven by both agricultural needs and ritual merit. The note also cites poetry describing queens supervising the digging of tanks and uses these examples to counter the notion that engineering flourished only under colonial rule.