Iron in Ancient India c6.s4.10

c6.s4.10

For some time there existed a good deal of misconception regarding the composition of the material of which the pillar was made. There was a local tradition that it was made of "sapta-dhātu" or seven metals, and from the peculiar yellow colour of the top of the pillar many people supposed it to be a casting of brass or copper. All doubts were removed when General Cunningham had two specimens of the metal analysed, one by Dr. Murray Thomson of the Roorkee Engineering College and the other by Dr. Percy of the School of Mines. Both found it to be wrought iron without an alloy. The specific gravity of the metal was 7·66, that of purest wrought iron being 7·84. Quite recently a complete analysis of the metal has been published by Sir Robert Hadfield,¹ who found its specific gravity to be 7·81. The results of analysis are:—