History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c37.43

c37.43

In Yuktikalpataru, a manuscript of the eleventh century, we find a list of places where swords were manufactured from Indian steel. Benaras, Magadha, Ceylon, Nepal, Anga, Mysore, Surat and Kalinga (Orissa) are the names of places mentioned therein. It also describes the qualities of the swords manufactured in those localities. A similar reference is also found in the Sarangadhara Paddhati, a work believed to be composed in the 14th century by the alchemist Sarangadhara. It mentions the following places noted for the manufacture of swords: viz., Khatikhattara, Rishi, Bānga (Bengal), Shurporaka, Videha (Mithila or Trihut), Anga (Bhagalpur), Madhyama-gram, Bedidesha, Sahagram and Kalinjar. Dimensions and qualities of the swords, as well as the varieties of iron and their different colours, have been discussed in these two treatises.