The area under cultivation substantially increased under the Sultanate and the Mughal rulers. During the Sultanate period the route to Delhi was largely afforested and Mewat posed hazards to trading groups. Balban ordered the cutting of forests and subsequently constructed Gopalgiri fort, which was put under Afghans. In course of time the area began to be cultivated.
Areas of Multan district, an arid waste region were colonized under Ainul-Mulk Mahru. Several canals and water channels were constructed here. Subsequently, the production of the area doubled. Firuz Tughlaq contributed substantially to construction of an extensive system of canals. The canals from Yamuna, Sutlej and Ghaggar watered the areas of Hissar in Haryana. In Sind and Punjab, the canals were relatively smaller but contributed to growth of agriculture.
According to estimates worked out by his pan, extension of cultivation almost doubled from 16th to the beginning of 20th century AD. The clearance of forests and agrarian expansion continued in Bihar, Bengal and Awadh. The practice of constructing canals continued under Mughals also but it is suggested that owing to their low level of flowing their potential for irrigation remained limited.
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The agricultural situation in the medieval Northeast began to change from 13th century AD. Onwards. Brahmaputra valley under the Kacharis was acquainted with plough and wet rice cultivation. However, cultivation was predominantly shifting in nature besides gathering (of fruits, roots and herbs) and hunting-fishing activities. The subsistence economy of the region was not able to defend itself from the invading agriculturists.
Ahoms were basically an agricultural tribe and if the legend is believed they came to the valley in search of cultivable land. They subjugated the local tribes and established themselves in the extreme southeastern part of the valley. Ahoms originally belonged to Mongolia, China and are credited to have introduced wet-rice cultivation on a wider scale in the Brahmaputra valley.
Contemporary chroniclers noted sub-regional variations within Assam. Mughal chronicler Shihabuddin Talish remarked that even the foreigners were attracted by the flourishing wet-rice cultivation in Brahmaputra valley. On the other hand, Ralph Fitch in 1585 noted only the cultivation of silk, bamboo, cotton, cane etc., in the lower Assam. Compared to the valley, the hills practiced primitive methods of rice cultivation besides hunting and gathering activities. With little modifications the variations still exist.