Iron in Ancient India c10.2

c10.2

That cast iron was known in ancient India is undoubted. It has already been pointed out that three distinct varieties of iron, viz. "munda," "tikshna" and "kānta," meaning respectively cast iron, steel and wrought iron, are mentioned in the Tantrik works of the thirteenth or fourteenth century such as *Rasaratna-samucchaya* and *Rasendra-shār-samgraha*. We would draw prominent attention to the description of three varieties of "munda" iron in the *Rasaratna-samucchaya* which are undoubtedly varieties of cast iron, "that which *easily melts*, does not break and is glossy is *mridu*; that which expands *with difficulty* when struck with a hammer is known as *kuntha*; that which *breaks* when struck with a hammer and has a black fracture is *kadāra*."