Minerals and Metals in Pre-Modern India

Book Detail

• ISBN: 9788124601839
• Brand: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of Pages: 239
• Release Date: 01-04-2002
• Package Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.9 inches
• Languages: English

Description

Gems, Metals, and Metallic Art in India: From 1200 AD to the Threshold of Modern Times is a sequel to Professor Arun-Kumar Biswas’s Minerals and Metals in Ancient India (1996), continuing the fascinating story of India’s mineral and metalworking heritage. Sponsored by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), this volume delves into the world of gems, non-gem minerals, and metals used in medieval and pre-modern India, focusing on developments from 1200 AD onward.

Key Highlights:

• Gems and Diamond Mining: The book explores the thriving world of medieval India's gems, with a special emphasis on its highly dexterous diamond mining industry.
• Non-Gem Minerals and Ores: A thorough study of non-gem minerals, including the metallic ores of copper, lead, zinc, ferrocobaltite, and aluminium, and even building stones.
• Iron, Steel, Brass, and Zinc: The book provides coherent descriptions of the diverse ores processed and the smelting techniques employed in medieval India. Special attention is given to the production of wootz steel and the development of brass and zinc.
• Indigenous Technologies: Biswas highlights India’s primacy in zinc and brass for over two millennia, detailing how zinc smelting and distillation technologies were transferred to the West, much like Chinese innovations in paper-making and gunpowder.
• Artistic Traditions: The author examines the legacy of metallic arts in India, exemplified in works like enamelling, jewel-setting, and Bidriware (brass and high-zinc arts).
• Decline of Industries: The book concludes by discussing the decline of India’s metal industries and artisanship, alongside insights into how the vitality of its traditions began to fade.

This work is an in-depth exploration of India’s long-standing metalworking and gem-cutting traditions, offering a historical perspective on how these industries flourished and evolved over centuries.

Author Details

• Author: Professor Arun-Kumar Biswas
• About the Author: Professor Biswas is a renowned scholar specializing in archaeo-metallurgy, Indology, and the history of science, with a focus on India’s ancient mining and metallurgy practices.