Essay name: Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature
Author:
Sulekha Biswas
Affiliation: Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj University / Department of Sanskrit
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.
Chapter 7 - A millennium of Ratnashastra (gemmology) literature in India
1 (of 85)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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CHAPTER VII
A MILLENNIUM OF RATNASASTRA (GEMMOLOGY)
LITERATURE IN INDIA
India has always been a land of precious gems.. Harappar
sites, specially Mohenjo-daro, have yielded, on archaeological
excavations, a bewildering variety of gems of different types and
diverse origins.
After the collapse of the Harappen civilization
and eastward migration of population from the valley of the
(drying up) Sarasvati river, Indian society took more than a
millennium to re-organise itself in the sub-continent.
The first millennium B.C. in Northern India started with
the second phase of urbanisation, and during the middle of this
period, the contacts with the South India, Aechemenid empire in
Persia and Afghanistan resulted in exploitation of internal
mineral resources, import of gem minerals and their processing.
The previous chapters contain references to the gem minerals
mentioned in the Vedic and post-Vedic literatures, Astadhwavi
Kautilya Artha艣astra, the epics, the Buddhist and Jaina canonica
texts etc. Gemmology as a subject was however developed only in
the post-Christian era.
Some Key Indian texts containing references on gemmology
or ratnasastra have been listed in TableVII-1 as well as at the
end of this chapter. Some of the dates given in the table are
approximate. The rise of monarchial powers, urbanisation and
international trade resulted in widespread imports and exports
