 As early as 3000 BC, sophisticated systems of drains, wells and tanks were built to conserve and utilise water.Tank building as an art form began with the Hindus and developed under Muslim rule.An example of the art of tank design is the large, geometrically spectacular Stepped Tank at the Royal Center at the ruins of Vijayanagara, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, surrounding the modern town of Hampi.