Iron in Ancient India c6.s4.1

c6.s4.1

This celebrated iron-pillar stands in a quadrangle adjoining the famous Kutub Minar, which is situated in a village called Mihrauli (Mihirapuri) about 12 miles from the city of Delhi. It stands about 22 ft. above the ground, and exact excavations have shown that it goes about 20 inches below the ground. Roscoe and Schorlemmer, while admiring the metallurgical skill of the ancient Hindus, have repeated the original mistake of General Cunningham in thinking it to be 60 ft. in length, while as a matter of fact it is 23 ft. 8 in. long. Writes Fergusson: "It is a curious illustration how difficult it sometimes is to obtain correct information in India, that when General Cunningham published his reports in 1871, he stated, apparently on the authority of Mr. Cooper, Deputy Commissioner, that an excavation had been carried down to a depth of 26 ft. but without reaching the bottom. The man in charge, however, assured him that the actual depth reached was 35 ft. (Vol. I, p. 169). He consequently estimated the whole length at 60 ft., but fortunately ordered a new excavation, determined to reach the bottom and found it at 20 inches below the surface (Vol. IV, p. 28). At a distance of a few inches below the surface it expands in a bulbuous form to a diameter of 2 ft. 4 in. and rests on a gridiron of iron bars, which are fastened with lead into the stone pavement."¹