Iron in Ancient India c7.s1: Analysis of Indian Iron
Iron in Ancient India c7.s1
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Analysis of Indian Iron
c7.s1.1
All the specimens of iron described before have not been analysed. The Archaeological Department would do well to have them analysed and thus help chemists to properly understand the subject of metallurgy of iron in ancient India.
c7.s1.2
A complete analysis of the iron of the Delhi pillar by Sir Robert Hadfield has been given on page 19, and the analysis of a specimen of Konarak iron by the author on page 26.
c7.s1.3
Sir Robert Hadfield has published analyses of a number of specimens of Ceylonese iron of the fifth century A.D. in the Proceedings of the Royal Society and Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute.¹ As Ceylon might be regarded to be a part of Greater India in ancient times, analyses of Ceylon iron of the fifth century would be of interest in connection with Indian iron.² We give below the analyses of an iron nail, a chisel and a bill-hook.
c7.s1.4
¹ Hadfield, *Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute*, 1912, pp. 163-168.
c7.s1.5
² In the fifth century B.C. Vijaya, the son of Sinhabahu, a King of Magadha, is said to have been exiled by his father for many acts of fraud and violence, and this Prince came by sea to Ceylon, conquered the island and founded a dynasty of kings. Ceylon was converted into Buddhism in the third century B.C. by the missionaries sent by King Asoka under the leadership of his monk brother Mahendra who spent the rest of his life there.
c7.s1.6
Iron nail :- Specific gravity 7.69.
c7.s1.7
| | | | Per cent. |
| Carbon | .. | .. | Traces. |
| Silicon | .. | .. | .11 |
| Sulphur | .. | .. | Nil. |
| Phosphorus | .. | .. | .32 |
| Manganese | .. | .. | Nil. |
c7.s1.8
Iron chisel :— Specific gravity 7·69. Carbon .. .. .. Traces. Silicon .. .. .. ·12 Sulphur .. .. .. ·003 Phosphorus .. .. .. ·28 Manganese .. .. .. Nil. Iron .. .. .. 99·3
c7.s1.9
Iron bill-hook :— Specific gravity 7·5. Carbon .. .. .. Traces Silicon .. .. .. ·26 Suphur .. .. .. ·022 Phosphorus .. .. .. ·34 Manganese .. .. .. Traces.
c7.s1.10
It will be noted that the composition of Ceylonese iron is exactly analogous to that of the iron of the Delhi pillar and Orissan beams. It is very likely that Indian iron was exported to Ceylon in ancient times.
c7.s1.11
An analysis of a specimen of cast iron discovered in the ruins of Bhaba Chandra Pāt near Rungpur has been given in the paragraph dealing with cast iron (p. 78).