Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s8.t1.22

v1.c28.s8.t1.22

The chronological list of icons in Gujarat attested by art scholars, epigraphers and palaeographers, reproduced by Swarnakamal (1980: 11-15) show very few noteworthy icons after tenth century AD and before the fourteenth century AD. The Somanātha temple was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in AD 1026 and things did not settle down in the western part of India till the invading Muslims consolidated their hold in this part of the country which took about three centuries. In the thirteenth century AD mining of zinc ore and smelting the metal were resumed at Zawar and thus the brass technology was boosted. For four centuries (AD 1350-1752) Gujarat produced brass icons with very high precentages of zinc and very little lead and tin (Table 20.4). The eighteenth century AD brass icon Dīpalakṣmī (No. 38) assays nearly 40 per cent zinc. The seated Tīrthaṅkara image (No. 39) bears an inscription of the date AD 1752 which is five years before the war of Plassey and eight years before Zawar Mine had to slow down and eventually close its production on account of the repeated Marāṭhā invasions in Rajasthan.