Home > Indian History > History of India > Superintendent of Gold
Superintendent of Gold
Superintendent of Gold is the person responsible for supervising the manufacture of gold and silver coins for the treasury. Chapter XIII of Book II in Arthashastra has discussed the role and responsibilities of a superintendent of gold.

Share this Article:

Superintendent of Gold, as has been discussed in chapter XIII of Book II of Arthashastra, has been invested with the responsibility of manufacturing gold and silver coins as well as jewellery for which he shall be provided with a separate goldsmith`s office consisting of four rooms and one door. Arthashastra clearly defines the responsibilities of the superintendent of gold who shall be responsible for the selection of right quality of gold, its use for jewellery or coins, the process of manufacturing these products, selection of silver in the same manner and its use for the same purpose, drawing out the distinction between the types of gold received and accordingly its utilisation. The premise of goldsmith`s office is supposed to be immensely secured with restricted entry and should be in total control of the superintendent.

Superintendent of Gold shall appoint a reliable, skilful, well trained goldsmith with high birth to hold his office. The superintendent shall begin his work with the classification of gold along with its source. The types of gold as included in Arthashastra includes the gold extracted from the mountains, gold received from mines, gold which is a product of river, gold which is a product of a mountain and the variety of gold which is extracted . Gold may be pure or amalgamated with silver or mercury, or alloyed with other impurities as mine gold .The quality of gold varies from the type which is of the colour of petals of lotus, glossy, ductile, and incapable of making any continues sound is of a superior quality; the type which is of reddish yellow is of middle quality; and the type which is of red is of low quality. A completely impure quality is whitish in colour. Kautilya then makes detailed provision for the treatment of different varieties of gold to be treated with lead and heated and hammered to reach a proper level of structure and purity. The same process will apply for silver as well.

Superintendent of gold, according to Kautilya, must possess complete knowledge regarding the processing and manufacture of gold and gold products. Under the supervision of the superintendent the process of treating the gold which is extracted from the mines are to be conducted. He shall further divide alongwith the suggestion of the expert goldsmith as to which type is to be used for jewellery and which is to be used for coins.

Superintendent of Gold like before shall be responsible for classifying the quality of silver as well. Like gold the quality of silver will also vary according to its source which has been described in Arthashastra The types of silver includes those extracted from mountains; a product of a particular region known as gauda; kambuka which is extracted from mountain Kambu and Chakravalika which is extracted from the mountain Chakravala. The silver which is white, glossy and ductile is of the best quality; silver with impurity will be treated with lead in proportion to the one fourth of the quantity of impurity present in the silver; the type of silver which is full of globules, white glowing and of a colour of curd is the pure quality of silver.

Superintendent of gold will then verify the quality of gold with one touch test. The gold reserve will be dipped into a solution of vermilion or sulphate of iron and if the colour of the gold remains white or natural then its purity is certified but if the colour goes black or blue then it will be rejected as impure. The pure gold also known as Suvarna has a uniform colour which is good for sale and which can be further utilised for making ornaments. In case of manufacturing ornaments Kautilya identifies few types of ornaments and advises the superintendent to be extra alert in observing the working of the goldsmiths appointed by him for manufacturing these products. Kshepana, Guna and Kshudra are the three types of ornamental work which has been mentioned in the Arthashastra

Besides these, Superintendent of gold was also responsible in maintaining security during which a person who is not employed will be allowed to enter the goldsmith`s office; any workman who enters with gold or silver will have to forfeit the same; the goldsmiths who are engaged in manufacturing Kanchana (pure gold), prishita (hollow ornaments), tvashtri (setting gems in gold) and tapaniya as well as blowers and sweepers will enter and exit only after they are thoroughly cheeked up and verified by the person in charge.

Thus superintendent of gold as specified by Arthashastra, will be solely responsible for verifying the standard of gold which he delivers to the king and will ascertain the quality of tapaniya as per specifications mentioned in the Arthashastra.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.