Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c41.s9: The Lohādhyakṣa
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c41.s9
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The Lohādhyakṣa
v2.c41.s9.1
The Arthaśāstra specified that the Director of Metals (lohādhyakṣa) should establish factories for metals (other than gold and silver) viz., copper, lead, tin, vaikṛntaka (?), ārakūṭa or brass, vṛtta (steel?), kaṃsa (bronze), tāla (bell-metal) and loha (iron or simply metal?), and the corresponding metal-wares (2.12.23). Some comments on these names are called for.
v2.c41.s9.2
In the Vedic era, copper was known as lohāyasa or red metal. In the post-Pāṇini era, the nomenclature changed to tāmra and śulva. The element sulphur gandhaka was reckoned as śulva-ari (that which attacks śulva or copper) or śulvāri which was converted to ‘sulphur’ in the Western Indo-European languages. Copper used to be alloyed with arsenic to produce tāla or bell-metal and with trapu or tin to produce kaṃsa or bronze. It may be noted that tin had always been known in India as trapu. The other name kastīra came into vogue later during the Greek influence in India; kastīra was possibly derived from the Greek word cassiterite (tin ore).
v2.c41.s9.3
Another Greek word oreichalcos, denoting brass or the copper-zinc alloy, was probably converted to ārakūṭa during the time of Kauṭilya. Although some copper artefacts, discovered in the archaeological sites of Lothal and Atrañjikherā (2000 and 1000 BC respective dates), contained zinc, the actual manufacture of zinc in India must have strated around 400 BC in Taxilā. The Arthaśāstra’s references to ārakūṭa (2.12.23; 2.17.14; 4.1.35) and to red lead gāndhāra (2.14.35), a product from Gāndhāra, testify the author’s familiarity with the North-West India of the period fourth century before Christ. The author was most likely Cāṇakya or Viṣṇugupta himself.
Linked texts (1)
- Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit