 The Iron Pillar, situated in the inner court of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, axial with the central arch of the screen, is significant as it provides evidence that people in this region were able to weld malleable iron on so ambitious a scale as early as 4rt century AD.
The pillar appears to have been erected originally as a standard to support an image of Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, in front of a temple dedicated to the god. A deep hole on the top of the pillar indicates that an additional member, in all probability, an image of Garuda, was fitted into it to answer to its description as a standard of Vishnu. The fluted bell capital with its amalaka members is a characteristic feature of the Gupta architecture of northern India, and affords further evidence to the period of its erection. This evidence is substantiated by a Sanskrit inscription in Gupta characters of the fourth century AD engraved on the pillar. The inscription records its erection by a mighty king named Chandra, a devotee of the god Vishnu, as a 'lofty standard'{dhwaja stambha) of that divinity on 'the Hill of Vishnupada'. This king has now been identified as Chandragupta II (AD 375-413) of the imperial Gupta dynasty. The base of the pillar is not smooth, with small pieces of iron tying it to its foundations, and lead sheet covers the portion concealed below the present floor level. The total length of the pillar is 7.2 metres, of which 93 cm is buried underground. The metal of the pillar has been found to be almost pure malleable iron, which shows only the slightest signs of rusting, and that too below the ground. The manufacture of such a massive iron pillar, which has not deteriorated much in the sixteen hundred years of its existence, is standing testimony to the metallurgical skill of ancient Indians. This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to content@indianetzone.com |
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