What is the Persian Wheel (Rahat)?

The Persian Wheel (locally known in India as the Rahat) is a mechanical water-lifting device.

• How it looks: It consists of a large wooden or iron wheel mounted over a well. Attached to this large wheel is a long, looping chain (or rope) carrying several small buckets or clay pots.
• How it works: The main wheel is connected via wooden gears to a horizontal wheel on the ground. A pair of oxen, buffaloes, or camels are tied to a wooden pole and made to walk in a circle.
• As the animals walk, the gears turn the main wheel. The chain of buckets dips into the deep well, scoops up the water, and travels to the top where the buckets automatically spill the water into a wooden trough. The water then flows into the farming fields.

The Persian Wheel was introduced to India during the early medieval period (around the time of the Delhi Sultanate). It completely revolutionized Indian agriculture. Farmers could now easily irrigate large tracts of dry land with minimal human effort, leading to a massive increase in crop production and wealth.