Copper in Ancient India c10.s3.12

c10.s3.12

Zinc was recognised as a metal for the first time under the designation of its modern name, *Jasada*, as pointed out by Dr. Ray, in the lexicon ascribed to king Madanapāla written about the year 1374 A.D.¹ But this fact was not universally recognised until the sixteenth century. Sārangadhar, the well known alchemist has not mentioned zinc in its list of nine metals. Rasendrachintāmani, Rasakalpa, Nityanātha's Rasaratnākar and other alchemical works of this period do not mention zinc in the list of metals. It is only in the works of the sixteenth century that zinc finds a permanent place in the list of metals. Dhātukriyā, Bhābaprakāsha and other alchemical works of this century mention it in the list of metals and the Ayeen Akbari also mentions "ruh-i-tutia" (essence of white tutia) or zinc as one of the seven metals. It must therefore be acknowledged that though zinc was universally distilled in India by the 13th century and its metallic nature recognised by Madanpāla in the fourteenth century, it was not until the sixteenth century that it was universally recognised as a metal. Even in this respect India's knowledge of the metallic nature of zinc was more in advance than in contemporary Europe as "the identification of zinc as the metal from blende was only accomplished by Homberg in 1695."²