Copper in Ancient India c12.21

c12.21

Turning to Akbar’s time we find mention of copper mines in the Ayeen Akbari in several parts of India. We find that in the sixteenth century copper mines existed at Byaneh and Singhaney Dadipoor in the Subah of Agra. At Burat in the same Subah were found “several copper mines, so profitable that out of a maund of ore they extract thirty-five seers of metal.”¹ We also find that in Kumaun in the Delhi Subah “there were mines of gold, lead, silver, copper orpiment and borax” and in the Subah of Lahore the sand of the Punjab rivers yielded on washing and sifting “gold, silver, copper, rowey, tin, brass and lead.”² As the references to copper mines are quite casual, it is not surprising that the book does not mention copper mines in any other part of India.