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Ancient Concepts, Sciences & Systems
Eternal India
encyclopedia
in weight probably belonging to 500 A.D.) at Sultanganj in Bihar.
Discovered by an engineer of the East India Company and now
located in the Birmingham museum, this statue has been cast in
two layers. While the outer layer is by lost-wax metal casting
method, the inner layer is cast on mould made up of sand, clay,
charcoal and paddy husks.
The famous iron pillar, opposite the Qutub Minar in Delhi is a
typical example of fine iron craftmanship of the classical period.
The pillar is 24'3" in height; diameter ranging from 16.4" to 12.05"
and weighing moil than six tons. The iron pillar was probably a me-
morial to Chandra Gupta II and belongs to 400 A.D. This pillar
which is more than 1500 years old is not showing any signs of
rusting or decay even now in spite of being subjected to the
vagaries of nature for centuries. This has made a Western geolo-
gist V.P. Ball to remark : "It is not many years since the production
of such a pillar would have been an impossibility in the largest
foundries of the world and even now there are comparatively few
places where a similar mass of metal could have been turned out."
The reason for non rusting and decay of the pillar is probably due to
the high phosphorous and very little sulphur and manganese content
as a result of the treatment given by the then metallurgists.
There is one more iron pillar at Dhar, in the Malva region which
is bigger in dimension (42' high) than the Delhi pillar. This pillar
which belongs to about 1200 A.D. is now lying in 3 pieces. Vincent
Smith has remarked on this pillar: “ Whilst we marvel at the skill
shown by the ancient artificers in forging a great mass of the Delhi
pillar, we must give a still greater measure of admiration to the
forgotten craftsmen who dealt so successfully in producing the still
more ponderous iron mass of the Dhar pillar monument with its
length of over 42 feet."
The cave paintings at Ajanta(200 B.C-600 A.D.), Bagh (300-
500 A.D), Badami (600 A.D) etc give an idea of the colours and the
pigments used by the artists of that period.
Dhaturaga
(red ochre),
haritala
(yellow arsenic sulphide) and
Kajjala
(black-carbon) are
some of the many colours used. The
Vishnudharmottara purana
de-
scribes the preparation of the surface for painting.
ALCHEMY
Alchemy in ancient India is perhaps much older than methodical
chemical practices. Like in other places, Indian alchemists also had
the twin objectives of (i) converting base metals into gold and (ii)
preparation of special decoction to prolong life or to attain immortal-
ity. In order to achieve their aim, alchemists developed highly
complex processes and secret procedures involving minerals, met-
als and herbs. Alchemists were practical chemists with a well-
developed laboratory.
Alchemical practices in India can be traced to 500 or 600 A.D.
Rasavidya
(the Indian name for alchemy) was mainly involved in
the study of mercury and its properties.
Rasa
(mercury) is highly
venerated in Indian alchemical thought as it is believed to be the
creative energy of Siva. Mercurial preparations are supposed to
give long life, vitality, mental ability and even invisible movement in
space.
There is an extensive literature on Indian alchemy which proba-
bly belong to a date between 800-1800 A.D. Some of the prominent
Rasasastras
(Alchemical texts) are
Rasarnava, ' Rasaratna-
samuccaya, Rasahrdaya. Rasaratnakara, Rasendracintamani
etc.
Most of these texts deal with the mercury based alchemy to achieve
the twin objectives of longevity and transmutation of base metals
into gold. A variety of herbal decoctions are prescribed.
Suvarna-
tantra,
an alchemic text, explains the properties of a bulbous root
which can dissolve a needle pierced into it. Mercury treated with
this bulb in a crucible is said to acquire the property of converting a
thousand times its own weight of the base metal into gold.
Rasahrdaya
mentions details as to how silver can be converted into
gold. According to this text mercury is to be covered by powder of
cinnabar, realgar, roasted golden pyrites, killed lead, a substance
called
Kankustha
and treated with the oil of
kanguni
to produce a
mixture. If silver is treated with this mixture, it turns into gold.
In conclusion it may be said that the chemical practices of
Indians during the Vedic and post-Vedic age speak of a high degree
of understanding of the basic principles of chemistry and a refined
methodology of practical knowledge. Regarding the alchemical
practices, however, they were as successful or as futile as the
practices elsewhere, notwithstanding the ocean of literature avail-
able on them.
( S . S )
Copper statue of Buddha