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Iron in Ancient India c7.s4: Varieties of Indian Iron

Iron in Ancient India c7.s4

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Varieties of Indian Iron

c7.s4.1

At present three principal varieties of iron are recognized according to the amount of carbon contained in them, viz, wrought iron, steel and cast iron. Each of these principal varieties is again sub-divided into other varieties according to the difference in their composition and properties. In ancient India also various kinds of iron were known and recognized by their different properties. The principal varieties were ‘munda’ (cast iron), ‘tikshna’ (sharp iron or steel) and ‘kānta’ (wrought iron).

c7.s4.2

The Sanskrit work *Yuktikalpataru*, a manuscript of the eleventh century, which has not yet been published, describes the relative goodness of various qualities of iron thus: “*Crouncha* iron is twice better than *shāmānya* (ordinary) iron, *kālinga* (Orissan) iron eight times better than *crouncha* iron, *bhadra* iron one hundred times better than *kālinga* iron, *bajra* iron thousand times better than *bhadra*, *pāndi* iron again hundred times better than *bajra*, *niranga* ten times better than *pāndi* and *kāntha* iron million times better than *niranga* iron.”¹

c7.s4.3

¹ [The Sanskrit text is provided in the block quotation above.]

c7.s4.4

*Rasaratna-Samuchchaya*, a work of the thirteenth century, mentions three kinds of iron, viz. *munda* (cast iron), *tikshna* (steel) and *kānta* (wrought iron).

c7.s4.5

*Munda* again is of three varieties, viz. ‘*mridu*,’ *kuntha* and *kadāra*.

c7.s4.6

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*.

c7.s4.7

*Tikshna*: There are six varieties of it, viz. *khara*, *sāra*, *hrin-nāla*, *tārābatta*, *bājira*, and *kālalauha* (black metal). One variety is rough and free from hair-like lines and has a quicksilver-like fracture and breaks when bent. Another variety breaks with difficulty and presents a sharp edge.

c7.s4.8

*Kānta*: There are five kinds of it, viz. *bhrāmaka*, *chumbaka*,

c7.s4.9

सामान्याद्दिगुणं क्रौंचं कालिङ्गाष्टगुणस्ततः ।
कलिः शतगुणं भद्रं भद्राद्वज्रं सहस्रधा ॥
वज्रात् शतगुणं पाण्डि निरणं दशभिर्गुणैः ।
ततः कोटिसमंवेत्त्यां कान्तालोहं मदारुणं ॥ युक्तिकल्पतरु ।

c7.s4.10

This passage has been quoted in *Rasendrarshār-samgraha*, a Tāntrik work of the thirteenth or fourteenth century, thus showing that *Yuktikalpataru* must have been written two or three centuries before, so that its date would be circa eleventh century.

c7.s4.11

The mention of *kalinga* iron in the passage quoted above shows that Orissa was always famous for her iron, and in fact even the Tata Iron and Steel Company get their supply of iron ores from the state of Maurbhanja in Orissa.

c7.s4.12

*karshaka*, *drāvaka* and *romakāntā*. It possesses one, two, three, four and five faces and often many faces and is of yellow, black and red colour respectively. The variety which makes all kinds of iron move about is called *bhrāmaka*, that which kisses iron is called *chumbaka*, that which attracts iron is called *karshaka*, that which at once melts the iron is called *drāvaka* (lit. a solvent) and the fifth kind is that which, when broken, shoots forth hair-like filaments.¹

c7.s4.13

From the description of the different varieties of iron it is quite evident that *munda* really means 'cast-iron' as its different varieties easily melt, break when struck with a hammer and have black fracture. The six varieties of *tikshna* are evidently varieties of steel presenting a 'sharp edge,' 'breaking when bent' or 'breaking with difficulty.' The five varieties of *kānta* are not easy to

c7.s4.14

¹ अथातः,—
मुण्डं तीक्ष्णं च कान्तं च त्रिपकारमयः कृतम् । 70
अथ मुण्डम्,—
मृदु कृष्णं कदारं च त्रिविधं मुण्डमुच्यते ।
द्रवामविस्फोटं चिक्कणं मृदु तच्चमम् ॥
यत् यत् प्रसरेद् धातु तत्कृष्णं मध्यमं स्मृतम् ।
ख्यातं भज्यते भङ्गे ख्यां स्यात् तत् कदारकम् ॥ 71—72
अथ तीक्ष्णम्—
खरं सारं च हृल्लासं तारासं च वाजिरम् ।
काललोहाभिधानं च षड्विधं तीक्ष्णमुच्यते ॥ 75
पदयं पादगोक्ताभं भद्रे पारदवच्चपि ।
नमने भङ्गुरं यत् तत् खरतीक्ष्णदाहृतम् ॥ 76
वेजभं मुण्डधारं यत् सारलालं तदीरितम् ॥ 77
अथ कान्तम्,—
भ्रामकं चुम्बकं चैव कर्षकं द्रावकं तथा ।
एवं चतुर्विधं कान्तं रोमकान्तं च पञ्चमम् ॥ 84
एकद्विचतुःपञ्च सम्मुखं मुखमेव यत् ।
पीतं कृष्णं तथा रक्तं चित्रं स्यात् पृथक् पृथक् ॥ 85
भ्रामयेत्कोचजातं तु तत् कान्तं भ्रामकं मतम् ॥ 88
चुम्बयेच्चुम्बकं कल्पं कर्षयेत् कर्षकं तथा ।
साक्षाद् यद् द्रावयेल्लोहं तत्साम्यं द्रावकं भवेत् ॥ 89
तद् रोमकान्तं स्फुटिताद् यतो रोमोद्भवो भवेत् ॥ 90
रसरत्नसमुच्चय (Poona edition), fifth chapter, pp. 26 and 27.
The English translation of the passages is taken (with alterations) from P. C. Ray's History of Hindu Chemistry, Vol. I.

c7.s4.15

identify. As *kānta* iron has been described the best of all varieties of iron in many books, it certainly refers to wrought iron, but in the passage quoted the varieties of *kānta* iron include magnetised iron also as they 'kiss' or 'attract' iron.

c7.s4.16

In *Rasendrashār-samgraha* we have got a passage in which the same three kinds of iron are mentioned, viz. *munda*, *tikshna* and *kānta*. In this passage also it is stated that " *munda* is ten times better than iron rust, *tikshna* hundred times better than *munda*, and *kānta* million times better than *tikshna* iron." ¹

c7.s4.17

¹ "किट्टात्मुण्डं मुण्डात्तीक्ष्णं ततोऽप्यधिकम् । तीक्ष्णात्कान्तं कान्तं" — रसेंद्रसारसंग्रह ।

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