Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature
by Sulekha Biswas | 1990 | 69,848 words
This essay studies the presence of Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature over three millennia, from the Rigveda to Rasaratna-Samuccaya. It establishes that ancient Indians were knowledgeable about various minerals and metallurgy prior to the Harappan era, with literary references starting in the Rgveda. The thesis further examines the evolutio...
6. Minerals and Metals in the Gupta Era Literatures
The political disintegration which followed the dissolution of the Kushana empire continued right up to the beginning of the fourth century A.D. The Gupta era started on 320 A.D. and listed till 570 A.D. Out of this period of two and half centuries, the first one and half (upto 467 A.D. When Skandagupta died), may be considered to be the 'golden era'. During the Gupta era, several literatures showed the sustained use of minerals and metals in India.
VIIIWe may recall that at the turn of the Christian era, the Roman traders and writers like Pliny, Ptolemy, the author of 'The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea" noted the diversity of gems, non-gem minerals and metals processed and used in India. The Indians were 'the first nation who employed minerals internally'. Since the first century A.D., Cinnabar was used for fumigations which produced speedy and safe salivations. Arsenic and arsenious acids were remedies to Mention of stibnite, ochre, realgar in the preparation intermittants. of medicines is found in Bower manuscript (second half of the fourth century A.D.). The Bower manuscript Navanitaka (Hoernle, 1893,1907) mentioned the uses of Yavaksara and sarjikaksara (K and Na carbonates), copper and iron sulphates, srotaja anjana, Co/sb sulphide, calx of brass etc. in medicine. As early as 531-572 A.D. Muslim students used to come from Bagdad to India to learn about Indian medicine. Later, Vagbhata (c. eighth century) mentioned the use of iron and copper sulphates for medicinal purposes. Pakshilasvamin Vatsyayana of the middle of the fourth century A.D. wrote a commentary on the Nyayasutra of Gautama, the first work (c. second century A.D.) on Indian logic. Vatsyayana Hallanaga, possibly a different person, who came later in the fifth century A.D., referred to sixty-four five arts (kalas) in his treatise Kamasutra which included rupa-ratna-pariksha (testing of precious metals and stones), dhatuvada (smelting of metals), maniragakarainanam (the technologies of gems, colouring of glass, mines etc.) etc. Mining and metallurgy were standard practices in the then commercial life of India.