Revitalizing India's Traditional Water Systems

In the arid landscapes that dominate much of present-day India, the survival and success of polities depended in part on their ability to manage water resources. Within the competitive political environment of early modern South Asia, technologies of water retrieval, storage, and distribution were vital means through which states established their cosmopolitan character, drawing immigrants from Iran, Ethiopia, and even Europe. These states sponsored the construction of ingenious structures such as stepwells, underground canals, water towers, reservoirs, and aqueducts for the collection and distribution of water across great distances. Elaborate fountains, baths, and gardens were enjoyed by elites, while canals, Persian wheels, and other technologies expanded the irrigated areas that could be subjected to intensive cultivation. Asian Studies Professor Walter Hakala seeks student researchers interested in studying these technologies and current efforts to revitalize neglected structures. Students will work with Dr. Hakala to collect and interpret scholarly materials connected with traditional water systems and their preservation. Prof. Hakala enthusiastically supports students who seek to present their research at conferences, travel to South Asia, and/or author or co-author journal articles on this or related topics. Interested students may schedule a meeting to discuss this or other projects with Prof. Hakala contacting him at walterha@buffalo.edu

• Set up a meeting with Prof. Walt Hakala using the contact information above to discuss what specific activities you will complete to prepare for this mentored project. 

Asian Studies and English