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 10 - Concluding Remarks
1 (of 16)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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CHAPTER X
CONCLUDING REMARKS
We have critically surveyed in the previous chapters
(II to IX) the references to gems, non-gem minerals and metals
in the Sanskrit literatures, from the Rgveda to the Rasa-Ratna
Samuccaya, which cover the entire span of three millennia of
the ancient India. A part of our work has been published
elsewhere (Biswas et al, 1990). Since mere recapitulation
would be unnecessarily repetitive, we would restrict ourselves
in this last chapter, to our observations on the following
points:
(a) correlations of the literary evidences with
the archaeological data and other historical facts, and
(b) the revelations about the scientific concepts
and socio-philosophical attitude in ancient India,
Archaeology and History
Archaeology digs not only the earth but also into
the past in a telling manner. In this modern age of sophis-
ticated instrumentation, the ancient artefacts can be accura-
tely analysed and C 14 - dated through the accompanying
organic residues; as a contrast, there are controversies on
the dates of several works of literature.
On the other hand, the archaeological samples of
minerals and metals are mute, and often do not tell whether
these were imported or locally made, and in the latter case,
