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The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c11.s1.t32: Chemical and Metallurgical Knowledge in the Arthaśāstra

The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c11.s1.t32

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Chemical and Metallurgical Knowledge in the Arthaśāstra

c11.s1.t32.1

According to Jolly the Indians of the *Arthaśāstra* are much too developed for the fourth century before Christ. Meyer retorts that "Jolly cannot prove that the India of those days did not possess all the sciences, arts, dexterities and institutions such as are described by Kauṭalya." In his judgment the whole line of this so popular argument is unfounded. Our positive knowledge on these subjects is so small that we ought to be very modest in our statements.

c11.s1.t32.2

In a paper contributed to the *Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Rechtswissenschaft*, Vol. XLI., Jolly has asserted that the *Arthaśāstra* is "a work of the third century after Christ, perhaps still later, because of the references to alchemy and gold-making." There is nothing in the world, says Meyer, to prevent us from believing that these arts may have been known in India in earlier ages although perhaps in another and more primitive form.

c11.s1.t32.3

Meyer has not been able to discover mercury in the *Arthaśāstra*. Hence a technological argument as to the lateness of the book is disposed of. Professor Lippmann has contributed a paper on "*Technologisches und kulturgeschichtliches aus dem Arthaśāstra des Kauṭilya*" in the *Chemikerzeitung* 1925 Nos. 134-135. He translates *trapu* by zinc and thinks that this reference betrays the origin of the passage as being not earlier than the eleventh century after Christ. But, says Meyer, *trapu* is tin and not zinc. Then there is a reference to *śarkarā* (sugar) which cannot be older than the fourth century after Christ, says Lippmann, or sugarcandy which is reported as an import from Egypt about 1300 A.C. But according to Meyer *Kauṭalya* knows five different kinds of sugar, and "it is unthinkable that the solid forms of sugar were not known in India before the fourth century after Christ."

Cites (1)