Iron Pillar of Delhi

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Iron pillar of Delhi From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Ashoka Pillar (disambiguation) . The iron pillar of Delhi. Detail showing the inscription.

Transcript of Iron Pillar of Delhi

Page 1: Iron Pillar of Delhi

Iron pillar of DelhiFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Ashoka Pillar (disambiguation) .

The iron pillar of Delhi.

Detail showing the inscription.

The iron pillar of Delhi, India is a 7 meter (22 feet) high pillar in the Qutb complex  which is notable for the

composition of the metals used in its construction.

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The pillar, which weighs more than six tons, is said to have been fashioned at the time of Chandragupta

Vikramaditya (375–413),[1] though other authorities give dates as early as 912 BCE.[2] The pillar initially stood in

the centre of a Jain temple complex housing twenty-seven temples that were destroyed by Qutb -ud-din Aybak ,

and their material was used in building the Qutub Minar  and Quwwat -ul-Islam mosque .[3]The pillar and ruins of

the temple stand all around[clarification needed] the Qutb complex today. The pillar is 98% pure wrought iron, and is a

testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian blacksmiths. It has attracted the attention of

both archaeologists andmetallurgists, as it has withstood corrosion for over 1,600 years in the open air.[4]

The name of the city of Delhi is thought to be based on a legend associated with the pillar (see History of

Delhi).

Contents

 [hide]

1 Description

2 Scientific analysis

3 See also

4 References

5 Further reading

6 External links

[edit]Description

The height of the pillar, from the top of its capital to the bottom of its base, is 23 ft 8 in (7.21 m), 3 ft 8 in (1.12

m) of which is below ground. Its bell pattern capital is 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) in height, and its bulb-shaped base is

2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) high. The base rests on a grid of iron bars soldered with lead into the upper layer of the

dressed stone pavement. The pillar's lower diameter is 16.4 in (420 mm), and its upper diameter 12.05 in (306

mm). The bell pattern capital is 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) high. It is estimated to weigh more than six tons.[5]

The pillar was erected by Chandragupta Vikramaditya (375 CE–414 CE), (interpretation based on analysis of

archer type Gupta gold coins) of the Gupta dynasty that ruled northern India 320–540.[6] The pillar with the

statue of Chakra at the top was originally located at a place calledVishnupadagiri (meaning “hill with footprint of

Lord Vishnu”).[7] This has been identified as modern Udayagiri, situated in the vicinity of Vidisha,Madhya

Pradesh. There are several aspects to the original site of the pillar at Udayagiri. Vishnupadagiri is located on

the Tropic of Cancer and, therefore, was a centre of astronomical studies during the Gupta period. The Iron

Pillar served as a sundial when it was originally at Vishnupadagiri. The early morning shadow of the Iron Pillar

fell in the direction of the foot of Anantasayin Vishnu  (in one of the panels at Udayagiri) only around

the summer solstice (June 21). The Udayagiri site in general, and the Iron Pillar location in particular, are

evidence for the astronomical knowledge that existed in Gupta India.

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The pillar bears a Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script [8]  which states that it was erected as a standard in honour

of Lord Vishnu. It also praises the valor and qualities of a king referred to simply as Chandra, who has been

identified with the Gupta King Chandragupta Vikramaditya(375-413). The inscription reads (in the translation

given in the tablets erected by Pandit Banke Rai in 1903):

He, on whose arm fame was inscribed by the sword, when, in battle in the Vanga countries (Bengal), he

kneaded (and turned) back with (his) breast the enemies who, uniting together, came against (him);-he, by

whom, having crossed in warfare the seven mouths of the (river) Sindhu, the Vahlikas were conquered;-he, by

the breezes of whose prowess the southern ocean is even still perfumed;-

(Line 3.)-He, the remnant of the great zeal of whose energy, which utterly destroyed (his) enemies, like (the

remnant of the great glowing heat) of a burned-out fire in a great forest, even now leaves not the earth; though

he, the king, as if wearied, has quit this earth, and has gone to the other world, moving in (bodily) from to the

land (of paradise) won by (the merit of his) actions, (but) remaining on (this) earth by (the memory of his) fame;-

(L. 5.)-By him, the king,-who attained sole supreme sovereignty in the world, acquired by his own arm and

(enjoyed) for a very long time; (and) who, having the name of Chandra, carried a beauty of countenance like

(the beauty of) the full-moon,-having in faith fixed his mind upon (the god) Vishnu, this lofty standard of the

divine Vishnu was set up on the hill (called) Vishnupada.

It is believed by some that the pillar was installed in its current location by Vigraha Raja , the

ruling Rajput Tomar king.[9] One of the inscriptions on the iron pillar from A.D. 1052 mentions Rajput

king Anangpal II.[10]

Made up of 98% pure wrought iron, it is 7.21m (23 feet 8 inches) high, with 93 cm (36.6 inches) buried below

the present floor level,[11] and has a diameter of 41 cm (16 inches) at the bottom which tapers towards the

upper end. The pillar was manufactured by forge welding. The temperatures required to form such a pillar by

forge welding could only have been achieved by the combustion of coal.[citation needed] The pillar is a testament to

the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian blacksmiths in the extraction and processing of iron.

A fence was erected around the pillar in 1997 in response to damage caused by visitors. There is a popular

tradition that it was considered good luck if you could stand with your back to the pillar and make your hands

meet behind it.

[edit]Scientific analysis

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Translation of the inscription in English.

In a report published in the journal Current Science, R. Balasubramaniam of the IIT Kanpur explains how the

pillar's resistance to corrosion is due to a passive protective film at the iron-rust interface. The presence of

second phase particles (slag and unreduced iron oxides) in the microstructure of the iron, that of high amounts

of phosphorus in the metal, and the alternate wetting and drying existing under atmospheric conditions, are the

three main factors in the three-stages formation of that protective passive film.[12]

Lepidocrocite and goethite are the first amorphous iron oxyhydroxides that appear upon oxidation of iron. High

corrosion rates are initially observed. Then an essential chemical reaction intervenes: slag and unreduced iron

oxides (second phase particles) in the iron microstructure alter the polarization characteristics and enrich the

metal–scale interface with P, thus indirectly promoting passivation of the iron[13] (cessation of rusting activity).

The second phase particles act as a cathode, and the metal itself serves as anode, for a mini-galvanic

corrosion reactionduring environment exposure. Part of the initial iron oxyhydroxides is also transformed into

magnetite, which somewhat slows down the process of corrosion. But the ongoing reduction of lepidocrocite,

and the diffusion of oxygen and complementary corrosion through the cracks and pores in the rust, still

contribute to the corrosion mechanism from atmospheric conditions.

The next main agent to intervene in protection from oxidation is phosphorus, enhanced at the metal–scale

interface by the same chemical interaction previously described between the slags and the metal. The ancient

Indian smiths did not add lime to their furnaces. The use of limestone as in modern blast furnaces yields pig

iron that is later converted into steel; in the process most phosphorus is carried away by the slag.[14] The

absence of lime in the slag, and the deliberate use of specific quantities of wood with high phosphorus content

(for exampleCassia auriculata) during the smelting, induces a higher P content (> 0.1%, average 0.25%) than

in modern iron produced in blast furnaces (usually less than 0.05 per cent). There is also more phosphorus as

solid solution throughout the metal than in the slags (one analysis gives 0.10% in the slags for 18% in the iron

itself, for a total P content of 0.28% in the metal). This high P content and particular repartition are essential

catalysts in the formation of a passive protective film of “misawite” (d-FeOOH), an amorphous iron

oxyhydroxide that forms a barrier by adhering next to the interface between metal and rust. Misawite, the initial

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corrosion-resistance agent, was thus named because of the pioneering studies of Misawa and co-workers on

the effects of P and Cu and those of alternating atmospheric conditions, in rust formation.[15]

The most critical corrosion-resistance agent is iron hydrogen phosphate hydrate (FePO4-H3PO4-4H2O) under its

crystalline form and building up as a thin layer next to the interface between metal and rust. Rust initially

contains iron oxide/oxyhydroxides in their amorphous forms. Due to the initial corrosion of metal, there is more

P at the metal–scale interface than in the bulk of the metal. Alternate environmental wetting and drying cycles

provide the moisture for phosphoric acid formation. Over time the amorphous phosphate is precipitated into its

crystalline form (the latter being therefore an indicator of old age, as this precipitation is a rather slow

happening). The crystalline phosphate eventually forms a continuous layer next to the metal, which results in

an excellent corrosion resistance layer.[16] In 1,600 years the film has grown just one-twentieth of a millimetre

thick.[17]

Balasubramaniam states that the pillar is "a living testimony to the skill of metallurgists of ancient India". An

interview with Balasubramaniam and his work can be seen in the 2005 article by Veazy.[18]

It was claimed in the 1920s that iron manufactured in Mirjati near Jamshedpur is similar to the iron of the Delhi

pillar.[19] Further work on Adivasi (tribal) iron by the National Metallurgical Laboratory in the 1960s did not verify

this claim.[20]

According to INTACH, further research has been proposed on the Iron Pillar to study the ancient metallurgy of

India. The ASI is reported to have agreed to the proposed studies that would make comparisons by testing

other ancient iron objects like the pillar at Dhar, the iron beams at Konarak, and so forth. The present research

using non-intrusive technique as proposed by Dr.Baldev Raj who is the Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for

Atomic Research and a member of the panel of architects and scientists.[21]

[edit]See also

History of metallurgy in the Indian subcontinent

Wootz steel

Heliodorus pillar

Serpent Column

Qutb complex

[edit]References

1. ̂  Balasubramaniam, R. 2002

2. ̂  Arnold Silcock; Maxwell Ayrton (reprinted 2003). Wrought iron and its decorative use: with 241

illustrations. Mineola, N.Y: Dover. pp. 4. ISBN 0-486-42326-3.

3. ̂  World Heritage Monuments and Related Edifices in India. Google Books. Retrieved 2009-05-27.

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4. ̂  Waseda, Yoshio; Shigeru Suzuki. Characterization of corrosion products on steel surfaces. Google Books.

Retrieved 2009-05-27.

5. ̂  Joshi, M.C. (2007). "The Mehrauli Iron Pillar". Delhi: Ancient History (Berghahn

Books).ISBN 9788187358299.

6. ̂  Identity of Chandra and Vishnupadagiri of the Delhi Iron Pillar Inscription: Numismatic, Archaeological and

Literary Evidence, R Balasubramaniam, Bulletin of Metals Museum, 32 (2000) 42–64.

7. ̂  On the Astronomical Significance of the Delhi Iron Pillar, R Balasubramaniam and Meera I Dass, Current

Science, volume 86 (2004) pp. 1134–1142.[1]

8. ̂  Agrawal, Ashvini. Rise and fall of the imperial Guptas. Google Books. Retrieved 2009-05-26.

9. ̂  Chaurasia, Radhey Shyam. History Of Ancient India Earliest Times To 1200 A.D.. Google Books.

Retrieved 2009-05-26.

10. ̂  Hickey, William. The Tanjore Mahratta Principality in Southern India. Google books. Retrieved 2009-05-

26.

11. ̂  Iron Pillar - Qutab Minar - Forts & Monuments - Delhi

12. ̂  On the Corrosion Resistance of the Delhi Iron Pillar, R. Balasubramaniam, Corrosion Science, Volume 42

(2000) pp. 2103-2129.

13. ̂  On the growth kinetics of the protective passive film of the Delhi Iron Pillar, R. Balasubramaniam,

Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208 016,

India. Current Science, vol. 82, no. 11, 10 June 2002.

14. ̂  On the Origin of High Phosphorus Content in Ancient Indian Iron, Vikas Kumar and R. Balasubramaniam,

International Journal of Metals, Materials and Processes, vol. 14, pp. 1-14. 2002

15. ̂  The mechanism of atmospheric rusting and the effect of Cu and P on the rust formation of low alloy steels,

T. Misawa, T. Kyuno, W. Suetaka, S. Shimodaira, Corrosion Science 11 (1971) 35-48.

16. ̂  On the Corrosion Resistance of the Delhi Iron Pillar, R. Balasubramaniam, Corrosion Science, Volume 42

(2000) pp. 2103-2129.] “Corrosion Science” is a publication specialized in corrosion science and

engineering.

17. ̂  On the growth kinetics of the protective passive film of the Delhi Iron Pillar, R. Balasubramaniam,

Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208 016,

India. Current Science, vol. 82, no. 11, 10 June 2002.

18. ̂  1600 Years Young, Materials Performance, July, 2005.

19. ̂  Andrew McWilliam 1920, cited in Chakrabarti 1992

20. ̂  Some Observations on Corrosion-Resistance of Ancient Delhi Iron Pillar and Present-time Adivasi Iron

Made by Primitive Methods, A.K. Lahiri, T. Banerjee and B.R. Nijhawan. NML Tech. J., 5 (1963) 46-5. Cited

in On the corrosion resistance of the Delhi iron pillar , R. Balasubramaniam.

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21. ̂  "Progress in Delhi" (pdf). Iron Pillar of Delhi. INTACH. p. 11. Retrieved 2009-04-11.[dead link]

[edit]Further reading

King Chandra and the Mehrauli Pillar, M.C. Joshi, S.K. Gupta and Shankar Goyal, Eds., Kusumanjali

Publications, Meerut, 1989.

The Rustless Wonder – A Study of the Iron Pillar at Delhi, T.R. Anantharaman, Vigyan Prasar New Delhi,

1996.

Delhi Iron Pillar: New Insights. R. Balasubramaniam, Delhi: Aryan Books International and Shimla: Indian

Institute of Advanced Studies, 2002, Hardbound, ISBN-81-7305-223-9. [2] [3]

The Delhi Iron Pillar : Its Art, Metallurgy and Inscriptions, M.C. Joshi, S.K. Gupta and Shankar Goyal, Eds.,

Kusumanjali Publications, Meerut, 1996.

The World Heritage Complex of the Qutub, R Balasubramaniam, Aryan Books International, New Delhi,

2005, Hardbound, ISBN 81-7305-293-X.

Story of the Delhi Iron Pillar, R Balasubramaniam, Foundation Books, New Delhi, 2005, Paperback, ISBN-

81-7596-278-X.

Delhi Iron Pillar (in two parts), R. Balasubramaniam, IIM Metal News Volume 7, No. 2, April 2004, pp. 11–

17. and IIM Metal News Volume 7, No. 3, June 2004, pp. 5–13. [4]

New Insights on the 1600-Year Old Corrosion Resistant Delhi Iron Pillar, R. Balasubramaniam, Indian

Journal of History of Science, 36 (2001) 1-49. [5]

The Early use of Iron In India. Dilip K. Chakrabarti. 1992. New Delhi: The Oxford University Press.

[edit]External links

Chandragupta IIFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chandra Gupta II (Vikramaditya)

Gupta Emperor

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Coin of Chandragupta II the Great. British Museum.

Reign 375 - 415 CE

Predecessor Ramagupta

Successor Kumara Gupta I

Consort Dhruvuswamini

Royal House Gupta dynasty

Mother Datta Devi

Religious beliefs Vedic Hindu

Chandragupta II the Great (very often referred to as Vikramaditya or Chandragupta

Vikramaditya in Sanskrit; also known to theGreek world as Sandrokottos) was one of the most powerful

emperors of the Gupta empire. His rule spanned 375-413/15 CE, during which the Gupta Empire achieved its

zenith. The period of prominence of the Gupta dynasty is very often referred to as the Golden Age ofIndia.

Chandragupta II the Great was the son of the previous ruler, Samudragupta the Great. He attained success by

pursuing both a favorable marital alliance and an aggressive expansionist policy. In this his father and

grandfather set the precedent.

Contents

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 [hide]

1 Biography

2 The Empire

3 His Reign

4 The famous iron pillar

5 Campaigns against foreign tribes

6 Notes

7 References

8 See also

[edit]Biography

Not much is known about the personal details of the great king. His mother, Datta Devi, was the chief queen of

Samudragupta the Great. After Samudragupta's death, Ramgupta his brother took over the throne and also

married Chandragupta's fiance 'Dhruvaswamini by force. The most widely accepted details have been built

upon the plot of the play 'Devi-Chandraguptam' of Vishakadatta. The play is now lost but fragments have been

preserved in other works (Abhinava-bharati, Sringara-prakasha, Natya-darpana, Nataka-lakshana Ratna-

kosha). There even exists an Arabic work Mujmalu-t-Tawarikh which tells a similar tale of a king whose name

appears to be a corruption of 'Vikramaditya'.He holds a semi-mythical status in India. The most popular native

calendar which happens to be a lunar calendar goes after his name. It is widely believed that the great poet in

Sanskrit, Mahakavi Kalidasa was one of the jewels of his royal court.

Silver coin of Chandragupta II the Great, minted in his Western territories, in the style of the Western Satraps.

Obv: Bust of king".[1]

Rev: "Chandragupta Vikramaditya, King of Kings, and a devotee of Vishnu" in Brahmi, around a peacock.

15mm, 2.1 grams. Mitchiner 4821-4823.

The fragment from Natya-darpana mentions the king Ramagupta, the elder brother of Chandragupta,

surrendering his queen Dhruvaswamini to the Saka king of the Western Kshatrapas Rudrasimha III, after a

defeat at the Saka king's hands. To avoid the ignominy the Guptas decide to send Madhavasena, a courtesan

and a beloved of Chandragupta, disguised as the queen. Chandragupta changes the plan and himself goes to

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the Saka King disguised as the queen. He then kills Rudrasimha and later his brother Ramagupta.

Dhruvaswamini is then married to Chandragupta.

We do not know what liberties Vishakadatta took with the incidents, but Dhruvadevi was indeed the king's chief

queen as seen in the Vaisaliterracotta seal that calls her 'Mahadevi' Dhruvasvamini. The Bilsad pillar inscription

of their son Kumara Gupta I also refers to her as Mahadevi Dhruvadevi. A Ramagupta too is mentioned in

inscriptions on Jain figures in the District Archaeological Museum, Vidisha and some copper coins found at

Vidisha. The fact that the king and Dhruvadevi are the protagonists of Vishakadatta's play indicates that

marrying his widowed sister-in-law was not given any significance by the playwright. Later Hindus did not view

such a marriage with favour and some censure of the act is found in the Sanjan copperplate

inscription of Amoghavarsha I and in the Sangali and Cambay plates of the Rashtrakuta king Govinda IV.

The Allahabad pillar inscription mentions the marriage of Chandragupta II the Great with a Naga princess

Kuberanaga. A pillar from Mathurareferring to Chandragupta (Candragupta) has recently been dated to 388

CE.[2]

Chandragupta's daughter Prabhavati, by his other queen Kuberanaga, a Naga princess, was married to the

powerful Vakataka king Rudrasena II.

[edit]The Empire

Gold coins of Chandragupta II the Great. The one on the left is the obverse of a so-called "Chhatra" type of Chandragupta II,

while the one on the right is the obverse of a so-called "Archer" type of Chandragupta II.

His greatest victory was his victory over the Shaka-Kshatrapa dynasty and annexation of their kingdom

in Gujarat, by defeating their last ruler Rudrasimha III.

His son-in-law Rudrasena II died fortuitously after a very short reign in 390 AD, following which

Prabhavatigupta ruled as a regent on behalf of his two sons. During this twenty-year period the Vakataka realm

was practically a part of the Gupta empire. The geographical location of the Vakataka kingdom allowed

Chandragupta to take the opportunity to defeat the Western Kshatrapas once for all. Many historians refer to

this period as the Vakataka-Gupta age.

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Chandragupta II the Great controlled a vast empire, from the mouth of the Ganges to the mouth of the Indus

River and from what is now North Pakistan down to the mouth of the Narmada. Pataliputra continued to be the

capital of his huge empire but Ujjaintoo became a sort of second capital. The large number of beautiful gold

coins issued by the Gupta dynasty are a testament to the imperial grandeur of that age. Chandragupta II also

started producing silver coins in the Shaka tradition.

[edit]His Reign

Faxian (Wade-Giles Fa-hsien) was the first of three great Chinese pilgrims who visited India from the fifth to the

seventh centuries AD, in search of knowledge, manuscripts and relics. He arrived during the reign of

Chandragupta II and gave a general description of North India at that time. Among the other things, he reported

about the absence of capital punishment, the lack of a poll-tax and land tax. Most citizens did not consume

onions, garlic, meat, and wine.[citation needed]

Culturally, the reign of Chandragupta II marked a Golden Age. This is evidenced by later reports of the

presence of a circle of poets known as the Nine Gems in his court. The greatest among them was Kalidasa,

who authored numerous immortal pieces of literature including The Recognition of Shakuntala. One other

was Varahamihira who was a famous astronomer and mathematician.[citation needed]

The next day after the Hindu festival Diwali is called Padwa or Varshapratipada, which marks the coronation of

King Vikramaditya. The Hindu Vikram-Samvat calendar was apparently started on this day and this day is

celebrated as New Year's Day in some places.

Shak-Samvat is synchronised with the Shak-Samvat calendar, which starts around April. This calendar was

initiated by Gautamiputra Satakarni who defeated the Saka king Vikramaditya, thus starting the Shalivahana

era or Shaka Calendar[citation needed]

[edit]The famous iron pillar

Main article: Iron pillar of Delhi

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The iron pillar of Delhi, erected by Chandragupta II the Great.

Close to the Qutub Minar is one of Delhi's most curious structures, an iron pillar, dating back to 4th century CE.

The pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god Vishnu,

and in the memory of Chandragupta II. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy.

The pillar is made of 98% wrought iron and has stood more than 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.

This iron pillar is similar to the Pillars of Ashoka found mostly in northern India. From Chandragupta II kings

were known as Parama Bhagavatas, or Bhagavata Vaishnavas. The Bhagavata Purana entails the fully

developed tenets and philosophy of the Bhagavata tradition wherein Krishna gets fused with Vasudeva and

transcends Vedic Vishnu and cosmic Hari to be turned into the ultimate object of bhakti.[3]

India, have many interesting stories about King Vikramaditya, his guru named 'Manva-Patwa' and his queen(s).

[edit]Campaigns against foreign tribes

Fourth century AD Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, credits Chandragupta Vikramaditya (aka Raghu) with having

conquered about twenty one kingdoms, both in and outside India. After finishing his campaign in the East,

South and West India, Raghu aka Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) proceeded northwards, subjugated

the Parasikas (Persians), then the Hunas and the Kambojas tribes located in the west and

east Oxus valleys respectively. Thereafter, the glorious king proceeds across the Himalaya and reduced

the Kinnaras, Kiratas etc. and lands into India proper[4].

According to the Brihat-Katha-Manjari of the Kashmiri Pandit Kshmendra, king Vikramaditya

(Chandragupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth of the Barbarians like

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the Shakas, Mlecchas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Tusharas, Parasikas, Hunas, etc. by annihilating these

sinfulMlecchas completely".

[edit]Notes

1. ^ "Evidence of the conquest of Saurashtra during the reign of Chandragupta II the Great is to be seen in his

rare silver coins which are more directly imitated from those of the Western Satraps... they retain some

traces of the old inscriptions in Greek characters, while on the reverse, they substitute the Gupta type (a

peacock) for the chaitya with crescent and star." in Rapson "A catalogue of Indian coins in the British

Museum. The Andhras etc...", p.cli

2. ^ Falk, Harry. (2004) "The Kaniṣka era in Gupta Records." Silk Road Art and Archaeology 10. Kamakura:

The Institute of Silk Road Studies, pp. 167-176.

3. ^ Kalyan Kumar Ganguli: (1988). Sraddh njali, Studies in Ancient Indian History: D.C. Sircar

Commemoration: Puranic tradition of Krishna. Sundeep Prakashan. ISBN 8185067104.p.36

4. ^ (Raghu Vamsa v 4.60-75.

Page 14: Iron Pillar of Delhi

Chandragupta IIFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chandra Gupta II (Vikramaditya)

Gupta Emperor

Coin of Chandragupta II the Great. British Museum.

Reign 375 - 415 CE

Predecessor Ramagupta

Successor Kumara Gupta I

Consort Dhruvuswamini

Royal House Gupta dynasty

Mother Datta Devi

Religious beliefs Vedic Hindu

Chandragupta II the Great (very often referred to as Vikramaditya or Chandragupta

Vikramaditya in Sanskrit; also known to theGreek world as Sandrokottos) was one of the most powerful

Page 15: Iron Pillar of Delhi

emperors of the Gupta empire. His rule spanned 375-413/15 CE, during which the Gupta Empire achieved its

zenith. The period of prominence of the Gupta dynasty is very often referred to as the Golden Age ofIndia.

Chandragupta II the Great was the son of the previous ruler, Samudragupta the Great. He attained success by

pursuing both a favorable marital alliance and an aggressive expansionist policy. In this his father and

grandfather set the precedent.

Contents

 [hide]

1 Biography

2 The Empire

3 His Reign

4 The famous iron pillar

5 Campaigns against foreign tribes

6 Notes

7 References

8 See also

[edit]Biography

Not much is known about the personal details of the great king. His mother, Datta Devi, was the chief queen of

Samudragupta the Great. After Samudragupta's death, Ramgupta his brother took over the throne and also

married Chandragupta's fiance 'Dhruvaswamini by force. The most widely accepted details have been built

upon the plot of the play 'Devi-Chandraguptam' of Vishakadatta. The play is now lost but fragments have been

preserved in other works (Abhinava-bharati, Sringara-prakasha, Natya-darpana, Nataka-lakshana Ratna-

kosha). There even exists an Arabic work Mujmalu-t-Tawarikh which tells a similar tale of a king whose name

appears to be a corruption of 'Vikramaditya'.He holds a semi-mythical status in India. The most popular native

calendar which happens to be a lunar calendar goes after his name. It is widely believed that the great poet in

Sanskrit, Mahakavi Kalidasa was one of the jewels of his royal court.

Silver coin of Chandragupta II the Great, minted in his Western territories, in the style of the Western Satraps.

Obv: Bust of king".[1]

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Rev: "Chandragupta Vikramaditya, King of Kings, and a devotee of Vishnu" in Brahmi, around a peacock.

15mm, 2.1 grams. Mitchiner 4821-4823.

The fragment from Natya-darpana mentions the king Ramagupta, the elder brother of Chandragupta,

surrendering his queen Dhruvaswamini to the Saka king of the Western Kshatrapas Rudrasimha III, after a

defeat at the Saka king's hands. To avoid the ignominy the Guptas decide to send Madhavasena, a courtesan

and a beloved of Chandragupta, disguised as the queen. Chandragupta changes the plan and himself goes to

the Saka King disguised as the queen. He then kills Rudrasimha and later his brother Ramagupta.

Dhruvaswamini is then married to Chandragupta.

We do not know what liberties Vishakadatta took with the incidents, but Dhruvadevi was indeed the king's chief

queen as seen in the Vaisaliterracotta seal that calls her 'Mahadevi' Dhruvasvamini. The Bilsad pillar inscription

of their son Kumara Gupta I also refers to her as Mahadevi Dhruvadevi. A Ramagupta too is mentioned in

inscriptions on Jain figures in the District Archaeological Museum, Vidisha and some copper coins found at

Vidisha. The fact that the king and Dhruvadevi are the protagonists of Vishakadatta's play indicates that

marrying his widowed sister-in-law was not given any significance by the playwright. Later Hindus did not view

such a marriage with favour and some censure of the act is found in the Sanjan copperplate

inscription of Amoghavarsha I and in the Sangali and Cambay plates of the Rashtrakuta king Govinda IV.

The Allahabad pillar inscription mentions the marriage of Chandragupta II the Great with a Naga princess

Kuberanaga. A pillar from Mathurareferring to Chandragupta (Candragupta) has recently been dated to 388

CE.[2]

Chandragupta's daughter Prabhavati, by his other queen Kuberanaga, a Naga princess, was married to the

powerful Vakataka king Rudrasena II.

[edit]The Empire

Gold coins of Chandragupta II the Great. The one on the left is the obverse of a so-called "Chhatra" type of Chandragupta II,

while the one on the right is the obverse of a so-called "Archer" type of Chandragupta II.

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His greatest victory was his victory over the Shaka-Kshatrapa dynasty and annexation of their kingdom

in Gujarat, by defeating their last ruler Rudrasimha III.

His son-in-law Rudrasena II died fortuitously after a very short reign in 390 AD, following which

Prabhavatigupta ruled as a regent on behalf of his two sons. During this twenty-year period the Vakataka realm

was practically a part of the Gupta empire. The geographical location of the Vakataka kingdom allowed

Chandragupta to take the opportunity to defeat the Western Kshatrapas once for all. Many historians refer to

this period as the Vakataka-Gupta age.

Chandragupta II the Great controlled a vast empire, from the mouth of the Ganges to the mouth of the Indus

River and from what is now North Pakistan down to the mouth of the Narmada. Pataliputra continued to be the

capital of his huge empire but Ujjaintoo became a sort of second capital. The large number of beautiful gold

coins issued by the Gupta dynasty are a testament to the imperial grandeur of that age. Chandragupta II also

started producing silver coins in the Shaka tradition.

[edit]His Reign

Faxian (Wade-Giles Fa-hsien) was the first of three great Chinese pilgrims who visited India from the fifth to the

seventh centuries AD, in search of knowledge, manuscripts and relics. He arrived during the reign of

Chandragupta II and gave a general description of North India at that time. Among the other things, he reported

about the absence of capital punishment, the lack of a poll-tax and land tax. Most citizens did not consume

onions, garlic, meat, and wine.[citation needed]

Culturally, the reign of Chandragupta II marked a Golden Age. This is evidenced by later reports of the

presence of a circle of poets known as the Nine Gems in his court. The greatest among them was Kalidasa,

who authored numerous immortal pieces of literature including The Recognition of Shakuntala. One other

was Varahamihira who was a famous astronomer and mathematician.[citation needed]

The next day after the Hindu festival Diwali is called Padwa or Varshapratipada, which marks the coronation of

King Vikramaditya. The Hindu Vikram-Samvat calendar was apparently started on this day and this day is

celebrated as New Year's Day in some places.

Shak-Samvat is synchronised with the Shak-Samvat calendar, which starts around April. This calendar was

initiated by Gautamiputra Satakarni who defeated the Saka king Vikramaditya, thus starting the Shalivahana

era or Shaka Calendar[citation needed]

[edit]The famous iron pillar

Main article: Iron pillar of Delhi

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The iron pillar of Delhi, erected by Chandragupta II the Great.

Close to the Qutub Minar is one of Delhi's most curious structures, an iron pillar, dating back to 4th century CE.

The pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god Vishnu,

and in the memory of Chandragupta II. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy.

The pillar is made of 98% wrought iron and has stood more than 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.

This iron pillar is similar to the Pillars of Ashoka found mostly in northern India. From Chandragupta II kings

were known as Parama Bhagavatas, or Bhagavata Vaishnavas. The Bhagavata Purana entails the fully

developed tenets and philosophy of the Bhagavata tradition wherein Krishna gets fused with Vasudeva and

transcends Vedic Vishnu and cosmic Hari to be turned into the ultimate object of bhakti.[3]

India, have many interesting stories about King Vikramaditya, his guru named 'Manva-Patwa' and his queen(s).

[edit]Campaigns against foreign tribes

Fourth century AD Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, credits Chandragupta Vikramaditya (aka Raghu) with having

conquered about twenty one kingdoms, both in and outside India. After finishing his campaign in the East,

South and West India, Raghu aka Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) proceeded northwards, subjugated

the Parasikas (Persians), then the Hunas and the Kambojas tribes located in the west and

east Oxus valleys respectively. Thereafter, the glorious king proceeds across the Himalaya and reduced

the Kinnaras, Kiratas etc. and lands into India proper[4].

According to the Brihat-Katha-Manjari of the Kashmiri Pandit Kshmendra, king Vikramaditya

(Chandragupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth of the Barbarians like

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the Shakas, Mlecchas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Tusharas, Parasikas, Hunas, etc. by annihilating these

sinfulMlecchas completely".

[edit]Notes

1. ^ "Evidence of the conquest of Saurashtra during the reign of Chandragupta II the Great is to be seen in his

rare silver coins which are more directly imitated from those of the Western Satraps... they retain some

traces of the old inscriptions in Greek characters, while on the reverse, they substitute the Gupta type (a

peacock) for the chaitya with crescent and star." in Rapson "A catalogue of Indian coins in the British

Museum. The Andhras etc...", p.cli

2. ^ Falk, Harry. (2004) "The Kaniṣka era in Gupta Records." Silk Road Art and Archaeology 10. Kamakura:

The Institute of Silk Road Studies, pp. 167-176.

3. ^ Kalyan Kumar Ganguli: (1988). Sraddh njali, Studies in Ancient Indian History: D.C. Sircar

Commemoration: Puranic tradition of Krishna. Sundeep Prakashan. ISBN 8185067104.p.36

4. ^ (Raghu Vamsa v 4.60-75.

Around 350 AD – Gupta Empire, Ancient India

An iron pillar weighing over 6 tonnes, more than 7 metres tall is constructed in a single forge and is erected on top of the Vishnupada hill (somewhere in modern central India) with sanskrit inscriptions on it in the brahmi script about the great gupta ruler Chandragupta Vikramaditya. 

Later the founder of delhi, Tomar king Anangapala brings it to delhi and installs it in its current place (See above pic)The mughal emperor Akbar makes every effort to have the inscriptions read, but at that time nobody knows about the script in which the inscriptions have been written, so the effort fails.

Much later, in the modern days, historians discover Ashoka’s pillars (The great Mauryan ruler of ancient India) and learn about the Brahmi script in which Ashoka’s  inscriptions have been written. The script on the delhi’s iron pillar is then identified to be written in the same Brahmi script.

What’s so wonderful about it? Well, one should ask ‘what’s so mysterious about it?’

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More than 1600 years back, to build an iron pillar of this huge size in a single forge itself is an indication of the advanced metallurgy of the ancient Indians. Even in today’s modern technological world it is a great achievement to forge such a huge pillar in a single forge!!!

But there’s more, this pillar which contains more than 98% of pure iron, even after 1600 years has not caught rust!!! It is 100% corrosion resistant inspite of the fact that it is 98% iron!! This indicates one of the great technological achievements of the ancient Indians. Even today it is next to impossible to construct such a huge corrossion resistant iron pillar. Corrosion resistant technologists from all over the world have studied this pillar.

Modern day technology uses limestone in the blast furnaces which carries away most of the phosphrous content in the ore in the form of slag. Ancient Indians instead by solid state reduction (used charcoal as a reducing agent) to extract pure iron with low carbon content from the ore.

One of the research opinions about the iron pillar’s corrosion resistant nature is that the high amount of phosphorous (which is 1% of the pillar as opposed to modern day proportions which is 0.05%) has formed a thin protective layer on the surface of the pillar thereby making it corrosion proof. Since other ancient iron works of the same period do not contain such a high quantity of phosphorous, it indicates that the extra phosphorous was intentionally added to the iron pillar.

Another theory suggests that the relative low humidity of Delhi ensures that the Iron pillar does not corrode. But I strongly disagree with this theory and want to stress on the fact that it is not the climate of Delhi but the composition of the pillar which is responsible for the corrosion resistant nature of the pillar. This is because of a simple reason that I observed a similar ancient corrosion resistant Iron pillar when I had been on a trek to the Kodachadri hills in the west coast of South India. Also I have heard about a similar corrosion resistant Iron pillar in the konark temple of Orissa. Both the above mentioned places have a highly humid climate throughout the year and yet the iron pillars here are corrosion resistant! The spreadout of these pillars across the geographical landscape of India indicates that the Iron pillar of delhi was not a single isolated incident of an ancient genius but was a common technical knowledge of the ancient civilization in this country.

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The inscriptions on the pillar identify the king as ‘Chandra’ (which most historians have related to the great Gupta ruler Chandragupta Vikramaditya) reads as follows (Source Wikipedia)

‘He, on whose arm fame was inscribed by the sword, when, in battle in the Vanga countries, he kneaded (and turned) back with (his) breast the enemies who, uniting together, came against (him);-he, by whom, having crossed in warfare the seven mouths of the (river) Sindhu, the Vâhlikas were conquered;-he, by the breezes of whose prowess the southern ocean is even still perfumed;-

(Line 3.)-He, the remnant of the great zeal of whose energy, which utterly destroyed (his) enemies, like (the remnant of the great glowing heat) of a burned-out fire in a great forest, even now leaves not the earth; though he, the king, as if wearied, has quitted this earth, and has gone to the other world, moving in (bodily) form to the land (of paradise) won by (the merit of has) actions, (but) remaining on (this) earth by (the memory of his) fame;-

(L. 5.)-By him, the king,-who attained sole supreme sovereignty in the world, acquired by his own arm and (enjoyed) for a very long time; (and) who, having the name of Chandra, carried a beauty of countenance like (the beauty of) the full-moon,-having in faith fixed his mind upon (the god) Vishnu, this lofty standard of the divine Vishnu was set up on the hill (called) Vishnupada.’

This pillar was erected in the honour of the hindu god Vishnu who is one of the trimurthi (Three gods who represent the life cycle of the Universe: Brahma-The Creator, Vishnu-The Maintainer, Shiva-The Destroyer)

By the way it is interesting to note that more than 2300 years back, ancient Indians knew about the process of iron rusting!  Buddha is cited in the ancient buddhist book Dharmapada

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saying “As rust, sprung from iron, eats itself away when arisen, even so his own deeds lead the transgressor to states of woe….”

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

Delhi’s Iron Pillar that Won’t Rust Major Dynasties. gfgfg

The Iron pillar, amazing as it is, may be overshadowed by ancient Indian nanotechnology, as describe here

in:

1. The Hindu

Indian craftsmen, artisans used nanotech 2000 yrs ago’

Visakhapatnam (PTI): Indian craftsmen and artisans used nanotechnology extensively about 2000 years ago

to make weapons and long lasting cave paintings, a Nobel laureate of Chemistry said here.

However, the craftsmen were completely unaware that they were practising carbon nano-techniques that

are the most sought after in the current age.

Citing examples of the famous Damascus blades used in the famous sword of Tipu Sultan and Ajanta

Paintings, Nobel laureate Robert Curl Jr. said studies have found existence of carbon nano particles in both.

On the sword scientists found carbon nanotubes, cylindrical arrangements of carbon atoms first discovered

in 1991 and now made in laboratories all over the world.

“Our ancestors have been unwittingly using the technology for over 2,000 years and carbon nano for about

500 years. Carbon nanotechnology is much older than carbon nanoscience,” Curl said at the ongoing 95th

Indian Science Congress here.

The 74-year-old scientist from the US shared the 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Richard Smalley and

Harold Kroto for the discovery of the carbon cage compounds, known as fullerenes.

Indian craftsmen used unique smelting techniques to manufacture the Damascus blades which led to

nanotisation giving them a unique long-lasting edge.

They had the technology to make wootz steel, a ‘high-grade’ steel that was highly prized and much sought

after across several regions of the world over nearly two millennia.

Wootz also had a high percentage of carbon, which was introduced by incorporating wood and other

organic matter during fabrication.

India, for ages, was a leading exporter of this steel which was used to make Persian daggers which were

quite popular in Europe centuries ago.

The technique to manufacture wootz declined steadily and has not been in use since the 17th century, Curl

said.

Source: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200801061523.htm

and

2: The Persian/Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN):

Iranians Enjoyed Nanotechnology 3000 Years Ago:

Source: http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7096

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