Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c27.s2.3

v1.c27.s2.3

In the post-Christian era, Kālidāsa referred to forge-welding in his Vikramorvaśīyam (3.16). Subandhu, a contemporary of Candragupta Vikramāditya II (AD 380-414), and author of Vāsavadattā, wrote about varieties of iron and the Mālwā traditions in metallurgy. We learn from Epigraphica Indica (Vol. 30, p. 478) that in AD 592, Viṣṇusena, a king of the Mālwā region, issued the famous commercial charter for the conscription of iron-smiths by royal officers for state purposes. In his Yuktikalpataru king Bhoja (AD 1000-55) discussed manufacture of iron weapons, and referred to the earlier texts on metallurgy such as Louhārṇava, Louhadspa and Louhapradīpa.