Copper in Ancient India c10.9

c10.9

As regards ancient specimens of brass of known date, mention has already been made of the brass casket and urn discovered in stupas of the 1st century. Brass along with bronze was very largely used in making statues of gods and goddesses in the middle ages. An inscribed brass statue of Buddha 30 cm high and 13.5 cm wide of the sixth century has been discovered in a dharamsālā at Fatehpur a village 20 miles due west of Kangra-kot.¹ Another inscribed brass statue of a large size of about 11th century discovered in Bengal has been preserved in the Dacca museum. But the most remarkable and gigantic work of brass has been described by the Chinese traveller Hiuen-Tsiang who saw near the famous Nalanda convent "a Vihara of brass built by Silāditya-rāja. Although it is not yet finished yet its intended measurement when finished (to plan) will be 100 feet."² Though the statement of the Chinese traveller is not explicit as to whether it was 100 feet high or wide, this entire vihara or monastery made of brass by Raja Silāditya (also known as King Harshavardhan who ruled from 606-647 A.D.)³ of the seventh century, when completed, would undoubtedly have been a magnificent example of the skill of the ancient Indians in brass-work.