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Hindu Achievements in Exact Science: A Study in the History of Scientific Development c22.s1: (a) Minerals

Hindu Achievements in Exact Science: A Study in the History of Scientific Development c22.s1

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English

(a) Minerals

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The principal metals and gems were discovered, described, and utilized by the Hindus independently of any foreign help. In fact, in this branch of knowledge as in many others the people of India were the pioneers.

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Mining has been in operation in India since the earliest times. The use of gems and precious stones as well as their identification,⁵⁰ also, have a long history among the Hindus.

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1. The Hindus were the first to discover gold (Roscoe and Schorlemner).⁵⁵
2. The Hindus taught the world the art of extracting iron from the ores (Roscoe and Schorlemner).⁵⁵
3. Even in the Mosaic period (1491-50 B.C.) precious stones and gems were in use in India. (Ball).⁵⁵
4. Homer mentions tin probably by its Sanskrit name *kastira*. (Birdwood.)⁵⁵
5. The Hindus supplied gold to the Persian Empire in the fifth century B.C.; and the story of Indian "gold-digging ants" (miners) is famous in Greek literature through Herodotus and others.
6. At first the Hindus knew six metals; gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead. They discovered zinc, the seventh metal, sometime during the fourteenth century. (It is mentioned by name as a separate metal in "Madanapala-nighantu," 1374). In Europe it was discovered by Paracelsus in 1540.
7. The Hindu "doctrine of seven metals" was not, like the Greek and Saracen, influenced by the doctrine of the mystic influence of the seven planets.⁴⁴ 8. Examination of the genuineness of gems was an art even in the first century B.C. (cf. "The Troy Cart," a drama by Shoodraka).

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9. There have been different methods of enumeration and classification of the precious gems in different periods. The last important phase is embodied in the "doctrine of nine gems." These are ruby, pearl, coral, emerald, topaz, diamond, sapphire, gomeda (agate or zircon), and vaidurya (chrysoberyl, or lapis lazuli). This doctrine was enunciated probably in the tenth century by the astronomer Shreepati.⁴⁹

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10. The nine gems are believed to have a mystic connection with nine planets. Shreepati was the first to add Rahoo (personification of the ascending node of the moon) and Ketoo (moon's descending node) to the list of the generally recognized seven planets.⁴⁹

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