Iron in Ancient India c8.s1.3

c8.s1.3

In the Ayeen Akbari we find that during Akbar's time there were iron mines in Bajuha, subah Bengal, in Keroh, subah Kashmir, and in Kumāun within the Delhi subah, also at Nirmul and Indore to the north of Golconda where excellent iron and steel were obtained. Tavernier in his "Travels" mentions that there were gold, silver, steel, lead and iron mines in Assam² and that iron manufactured at Haidrabad was pure.³ Manucci wrote that iron was abundant in Golconda which was principally celebrated for diamond mines. The Dhātukriyā, a work of the sixteenth century mentions that iron ores were plentiful in Lohādri, Gayādri, Gautamādri, Vindya Hills, Nalādri, Trymbaka and seaside places. It must be understood that these references are merely casual and they do not give any systematic information regarding the existence of iron mines in ancient India.