The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c11.s1.t32.3

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."