Iron pillar in delhi india. The secret of a pillar made of a single piece of iron in India

In Delhi - historical monument, which captivates with the mystery of its creation. It is made of iron that has not rusted since its construction - over 1600 years ago. Despite the fact that the column is in the open air, it still remains strong, which is an excellent confirmation of the scientific and technical knowledge in ancient india. The iron pillar is one of ancient secrets world that archaeologists and materials scientists are still trying to unravel.

You can see a photo of the iron column in Delhi in our article.

Location

The described object is located opposite the Quwwat-ul Islam mosque in the Qutb complex, where the famous Qutb Minar minaret is located, in the Mehrauli archaeological complex in Delhi.

The iron pillar rises majestically to a height of 24 feet (7.2 m). An ancient landmark was made from 6 tons of almost pure wrought iron.

Chemical composition

The researchers of this mysterious building chemical analysis of its composition was carried out. In 1961, the iron used in the construction of the column was found to be of exceptional purity with a very low carbon content. In addition, scientists have found that the metal from which it was made does not contain sulfur or magnesium, but does include phosphorus. Iron itself accounts for about 99.4%. Among the impurities, phosphorus is the most (0.114%). The share of carbon is 0.08%, which makes it possible to classify the material as low-carbon steel. Other impurities are presented in the following quantities:

silicon - 0.046%;
nitrogen - 0.032%;
sulfur - 0.006%.

scientific theories

Scientists conducting research in an attempt to uncover the secret of the iron pillar in Delhi came to a number of conclusions. All theories put forward to explain the amazing resistance of a structure to corrosion fall into two main categories:

Material factors (these versions are put forward mainly by Indian researchers).
Environmental factors (they are preferred by foreign scientists).

It is believed that due to the high content of phosphorus, a protective layer is formed on the surface of the column, which, on the one hand, protects it from corrosion, on the other hand, causes metal fragility (this is clearly visible in the place where the cannonball hit the column).

According to other scientists, they weather in Delhi prevent rust. According to them, the key catalyst for rust is moisture. Delhi has a dry climate with little moisture. Its content, during most of the year, does not exceed 70%. This may be the reason for the lack of corrosion.

Indian scientists from the Institute of Technology in Kanpur in 2002 conducted a thorough study. They cited a protective layer formed by crystalline phosphate as the reason for the absence of metal corrosion. The process of its formation occurs in the presence of wetting and drying cycles. In fact, the corrosion resistance of this unique structure is due to its chemical composition and weather conditions.

In addition, according to Indian scientists, at that time blacksmiths did not have any special knowledge about the chemistry of alloys, and the composition of iron was selected empirically.

Therefore, this theory suggests that there is a relationship between the processing, structure, and properties of the iron pillar. Based on scientific analysis, these three factors have been shown to work together to form a protective passive rust layer on an iron pole in Delhi. As a result, it does not undergo further corrosion. Thanks to this property, one can really consider the iron column in India to be another wonder of the world.

However, this ability to resist corrosion is not unique to this structure. Studies have shown that other large ancient Indian objects have a similar property. These include iron poles at Dhara, Mandu, Mount Abu, Kodohadri Hill and ancient iron cannons. Therefore, it can be said that the ancient blacksmiths were highly skilled specialists in forging iron products. In a report published in the journal Current Science, R. Balasubramaniam of the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur stated that the pillar is "a living testament to the skill of the metallurgists of ancient India."

Preservation of historical value

Previously, numerous tourists, clinging to the column, tried to hug her, joining their hands. It was believed that if this succeeds, it will bring good luck to a person.

However, due to this rather popular custom, the lower part of the column began to change its color from constant friction. According to the researchers, the endless touches and movements of visitors erase the protective layer that protects it from corrosion. In order to avoid further damage to the lower part of the iron pole, a small fence was placed around it in 1997.

inscriptions

Although several inscriptions have been found on the pillar, the oldest is a six-line Sanskrit verse. Since the name Chandra is mentioned in the third verse, scholars have been able to date the column's construction to the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditi (375-415 BC), the Gupta king.

But today she is in Delhi. How this column got there, and where its original location was, is still a matter of scholarly debate.

Riddles of the column

The purpose of the iron pillar is one of the many mysteries of history. Some researchers say that this is a flagpole made for the king mentioned in the inscription. Others claim they were sundial at its intended original location in Madhya Pradesh.

Why the column ended up in the capital of India is another mystery of the structure. There is no evidence of who exactly moved it over a thousand years ago, how it was moved, or even why it was moved. All that can be said for certain about this aspect of the pillar's history is that the mysterious iron pillar has been part of the landscape of the Indian capital for a very long time.

Versions and conjectures

The history of the iron pillar in Delhi is still being researched. There are many versions of its origin. However, despite the presence of various conjectures, scientists already have some information about this structure.

In 1838, an Indian antiquarian deciphered everything written on an iron pillar in Delhi. The inscriptions were then translated into English language and published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Before that, nothing was known about the iron column.

According to scientists, it was created in the early period of the Gupta reign (320-495 AD). This conclusion was made based on the style of the inscription on the pillar and the peculiarities of the language. As already mentioned, in the third verse of the inscription on the iron pillar, scholars have found a mention of the name Chandra, which designates the rulers of the Gupta dynasty. However, there are different opinions as to whether the word Chandra refers to King Samudragupta (340-375) or Chandragupta II (375-415), who was the son of King Samudragupta. It is also believed that the inscription could refer to the Hindu God Vishnu.

There is also a lot of speculation by historians about where the pillar was forged. According to one of the main theories, the iron pillar was created on top of the Udaigiri hill in Madhya Pradesh, from where it was taken to Delhi by King Iltutmish (1210-36) after his victory.

According to other researchers, iron post was moved and installed in the main temple of Lal Kot ( ancient capital Delhi) by King Anangpal II in 1050 AD. However, in 1191, when King Prithviraj Chauhan, the grandson of Anangpal, was defeated by the army of Muhammad Ghori, Qutb-ud-din Aibak built the Kuvwat-ul-Islam mosque in Lal Kot. It was then that the column was moved from its original location to its current location in front of the mosque.

Iron column architecture in India

The structure is placed on a base decorated with artistic carvings. Part of the column, approximately 1.1 meters, is underground. The base rests on a lattice of iron rods soldered with lead. A layer of paving stone is laid on top of it.

The height of the iron column reaches seven meters. The bottom diameter of the post is 420 mm (17 in) and its top diameter is 306 mm (12 in). The column weighs over 5865 kg. Its top is also decorated with carvings. There are inscriptions carved on the iron stand. Some of them contain vague indications of its origin.

The researchers found that the column was made by molding and forging and welding from pieces of paste-like iron weighing about 20-30 kg. Hammer marks are still visible on the surface of the pillar. It was also found out that about 120 people worked for several weeks creating this column.

Annihilation attempt

At a height of about four meters from the ground, there is a noticeable depression on the surface of the column. The damage is said to have been caused by firing a cannonball at close range.

According to historians, Nadir Shah ordered the destruction of the iron column during his invasion in 1739. According to the researchers, he wanted to do this in order to find gold or jewelry. Which, as the invader believed, could be hidden inside the top of the pillar.

According to another version, they wanted to destroy the column as a Hindu temple pillar, which had no place on the territory of the Muslim complex. However, the iron column in Delhi could not be destroyed.

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In India, not far from Delhi, in the town of Shimaikhalori, there is a huge iron pillar-column. Its height is 6.7 meters, diameter is 1.37 meters. At the top, the pillar is decorated with ancient ornaments and looks like a column. ancient temple. Perhaps this pillar was erected several millennia ago. The most amazing thing is that it is not subject to corrosion and destruction at all. In 1739, a cannonball was fired at it, which did not cause the slightest harm to the pillar.

How did the ancient masters manage to create chemically pure iron, how did they manage to cast a metal column 7 meters high and girth thick? Science cannot explain it. Some scholars consider the Iron Pillar to be evidence of the existence of a long-vanished ancient civilization, others believe that it was left in memory of a visit to Earth by aliens. Renting a road roller may detract a little from the topic, but it will help to carry out road work at the lowest financial cost.

The famous Kutubov column on the altar of the Kuvwat-ul-Islam mosque in the fortified city of Lal-Kot, not far from Delhi, perhaps even today remains one of the many iconic engineering creations of ancient civilizations that keep the secret of the Great Knowledge of antiquity, attracting more and more new researchers. There are many hypotheses about the origin of the column, many argue that never stainless post made of meteoric iron, and some are sure that this is the work of the aliens themselves!

Standing under open sky the legendary iron column with a diameter of 0.485 meters reaches a height of more than 7 meters and weighs about 6 tons. The inscription on the pillar says that it was brought and placed on this site during the reign of Samandragunta, who lived from 330 to 380 AD. The encyclopedic dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron says: “... the iron column of Raja Dhava (beginning of the 4th century AD) was erected in memory of the victory over the peoples Central Asia, as the Sanskrit inscription located here says. For a period of more than 1600 years, rare iron products have survived to this day. There are no traces of rust on the visible surface of the column. Until recently, it was believed that if a column, washed by rain and dew, does not rust, then it is made of pure iron. No other explanations were found.

The glory of this column was also added by legends about its magical healing properties, relieving people from a number of diseases. It is believed that it is enough for a patient who has arrived here on crutches to stand, hugging a column, for 20-30 minutes to recover.

Scientists have conducted a number of studies of the iron column in Delhi. For example, British specialists took small pieces of metal as samples for physical and chemical analysis in London. Upon arrival in London, it turned out that the samples were covered with rust. Soon, the Swedish materials scientist I. Wranglen and his colleagues discovered a zone of severe corrosion on the lower part of the column. It turned out that in the area of the foundation it rusted to a depth of 16 millimeters along the entire diameter. Faith in pure stainless iron was undermined, but other questions remained. Why, for example, does the column not rust higher from the foundation, and also how to explain its healing power?

Many years of efforts by Russian researchers revealed a number of previously unknown features of this building. For example, it turned out that the foundation of the column is made in the form of a two-sided pyramid (rhombus), it forms a vertical energy flow invisible to the ordinary eye, resembling a candle flame about 8 meters high and more than 2 meters in diameter.

Similar energy fields are observed above the tops of the pyramids and other places of worship, For example Orthodox churches, made in the form of pyramids, raised above the ground. Above their central bulbous dome, the iron crosses are also immune to corrosion if properly placed in the energy field.

The conducted studies show that inside the column at a height of about 3 meters from the ground there is additional source energy field radiation, made in the form of a small compressed rectangular package of thin sheets of an unknown radioactive metal. The radiation source is inserted into the column through a drilled and then plugged hole. Perhaps there is a message for posterity. New studies of the column may reveal additional interesting findings.

It can be assumed that the energy field shell of the iron column is a reliable protection against corrosion. The reason for the appearance of rust on the column in the area of embedding it in the foundation can be a water film from rain and dew formed on the horizontal surface of the foundation, which goes beyond the energy case.

As for the miracle of healing the sick, the main role here is played by the vertical flow of the energy field, which has a beneficial effect on the human energy, normalizes the work of the whole organism. A person receives a powerful additional energy supply, being completely in the arms of the energy field of the column. Recall that modern medicine affects magnetic, electric and other energy fields only on certain parts of the human body, without restoring the deformed energy shell of a person as a whole.

The version of the creation of the iron column is also curious. More than 12 thousand years ago, a large iron meteorite fell to the west of Bombay, the remains of which are still there on the shelf of the sea. During the heyday of the Atlantean and Indian civilizations, local craftsmen created three identical iron columns by crystallizing meteorite fragments. By the same method in underground caves other ritual items were also made. There, archaeologists in our time find many finished and unfinished products made of crystallized iron.

The special shape and design of the foundation containing energy flow stimulators (crystals, amber, rare earth and radioactive elements), as well as the design of the iron column itself, allowed the ancient masters to create an energy field flow around the column, which can be conditionally called the “Space Communication Channel” (energy antenna).

Similar ritual columns (pillars) made of stone, wood or metal in the area of places of worship are found on all continents of the planet. They vary in size and complexity of manufacture. Some reached 20 meters in height ( pillars of Hercules), others are only a few meters. For example, in Northern Bukovina, at the Rzhavinsky sanctuary (VIII-X centuries AD), a tetrahedral stone pillar more than 2 meters high was found, tapering upwards, without inscriptions and images. He stood in the center of the sanctuary, symbolizing the "World Axis", around which the Sun mysteriously and symbolically rotated in the process of ritual actions. In fact, such pillars (columns) fulfilled their functional, and not symbolic purpose. The priests had the knowledge of using and transforming weak earthly energy flows. In a word, the stone pillar played the same role here as the iron pillar in Delhi.

Nowadays, such stone pillars can be seen in French Brittany (giant menhirs), in England (carved cross from Gosford), in the Crimea, the Caucasus, Africa, Central America.

iron column located in the Qutb complex in Delhi, India. This nondescript seven-meter column has gained the widest fame due to the fact that it is made of metal that has not rusted for more than one and a half thousand years.

The iron column was cast around 402 AD under the ruler of the Gupta dynasty, Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375 - 413), but its original location has not yet been determined. It is most likely that she was in the caves of Udayagiri(near the modern village of Sanchi), located in the Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh, which is indirectly confirmed by the inscriptions on the pillar, ancient local traditions iron processing, as well as the fact that the second Sultan of Delhi (1211 - 1236), Shams ad-Din Iltutmish, attacked this district and could capture it as a trophy. In any case, at the beginning of the 13th century, this small column was erected a few dozen meters from the 72-meter one, probably to symbolize the superiority of Islam over Hinduism.

Complete iron column height is 7.21 meters, 1.12 meters of which is underground. The weight of the decorative capital is 646.14 kg, the rest - 5865.69 kg, in total - 6511.83 kg. At the very bottom, underground, the diameter of the column is 420 mm, at the very top - 306 mm.

decorative capital is a symmetrical structure of seven parts, which are interconnected by lead-based soldering around a hollow cylinder. On the uppermost part, which resembles a pedestal, a figurine of Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, was probably once fixed. A decorative capital is attached to the main part of the column, made by forge welding, using an insert.

Because of his extraordinary resistance to rust, the iron column in Delhi has long attracted the attention of archaeologists, corrosion specialists and engineers. Its very first real scientific study was conducted in 1912 by Robert Hatfield. Then, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a group of archaeologists and engineers excavated the underground part of the column. They found that its surface was covered with a centimeter layer of rust. At a level above the ground, only minor traces of it are still found on the column.

Why doesn't the Delhi Iron Pillar rust?

There are many theories, but they can all be divided into two categories: Related environment and material related.

Environment:
- Delhi has a very mild climate and for long periods of time the air humidity here does not exceed 70% (soil moisture is higher, so the entire column has rusted underground).

Fancy Material:
- the column was made of iron, unusually pure for its time (98%), which includes very little sulfur (0.006%) and a lot of phosphorus (0.114%), which led to the self-formation of a protective oxide film with a thickness of 50 to 150 nm.

- a large mass of solid dark metal heats up and retains heat for some time, which does not allow dew to form on its surface

The protective film seems to be the most likely theory, because in other, wetter regions, artifacts created by Indian metallurgists can also be found, such as an irregularly shaped column in the Dhar district, iron beams in the Temple of the Sun in the city of Konarak and an iron column in the temple Mukambika.

Inscriptions on the Iron Column

Despite the easy accessibility and wide popularity of the Iron Column, the inscriptions on it have not yet been studied well enough. The oldest inscription dated to the reign of the Gupta dynasty (4th-6th centuries). It is made in Sanskrit by an ancient variation of the Brahmi syllabary (read from left to right). It says that the column was created in honor of the god Vishnu. It also praises the courage and other qualities of the ruler, who is simply called Chandra (now it is believed that these lines refer to Chandragupta II).

Five lines of verse, which is located on the visible place columns (1903 interpretation by Pandit Banke Rai):

(1) He, the glory of whose strength was written with a sword, when in a battle in the Wang countries ( Bengal) he demolished and drew ( on the run) with his chest of enemies who, having united, went against him;

(2) He who fought crossed the seven mouths rivers) Sindhu ( indus), conquered the Vahliks; he whose perfection still perfumes the southern ocean;

(3) He, whose particles of enormous energy blaze, which completely destroyed ( his) enemies, like a burnt out fire in a huge forest, even now does not leave the earth;

(4) Although he, the king, as if tired, left this land and went to another world, moving from the land conquered ( his) actions, ( But) remaining on ( this) Earth in ( memory of him) glory;

(5) He, the king, who has achieved the exclusive supreme power in the world, obtained by his own efforts and ( which he enjoyed) for a long time; ( And) who, called Chandra, embodied the beauty of sympathy as ( beauty) full moon, believing in ( god) Vishnu, this majestic pillar of the divine Vishnu was installed on the hill of Vishnupad.

In another later inscription, dating back to 1052, the ruler Anangpal II of the Tomara clan is mentioned, which made it possible to discuss the version of the establishment of the column on its modern place under Vigraha Raja, which was later refuted.

It's interesting that Udayagiri caves, which are located on the Tropic of Cancer, during the Gupta dynasty were center for the study of astronomy. There is a theory that the Iron Pillar standing there in front of a large image of Anantashayana (the incarnation of Vishnu, symbolizing infinity) was a sundial. So, her Chakra, or Garuda, cast a shadow at the feet of Vishnu only once a year - early in the morning during the summer solstice (June 21).

The column demonstrated extraordinary stability in 1739, when she was hit by a cannonball, launched by the commander Nadir Shah Afshar during the three-day conquest of Delhi. Of course, it could not break the column, which carried almost 6 tons, but it left a noticeable mark on it, which rusted.

In 1997 the iron column surrounded by a low fence to prevent the destruction of the protective layer by crowds of people who believe that if you stand with your back to the column and clasp your hands around it, you can attract good luck and be cured of diseases.

Useful information about the Iron Pillar in Delhi, India

Location:

Southeast New Delhi; 40 meters northwest of Qutb minaret

How to get there:

Buses 34, 413, 427, 463, 463EXT, 502, 505, 517, 523, 525EXT, 533. 534. 539, 629 or 714 to the stop "Qutub Minar"
Saket metro station (yellow line), from which you need to walk about 700 meters to the Qutub complex along Mehrauli Badarpur road

Just half an hour from the center of the Indian capital, on one of the squares, there is an iron column more than one and a half thousand years old.

Since ancient times, crowds of pilgrims flocked to her - it was believed that whoever leaned his back against the column and wrapped his arms around her would be happy.

The column was erected in 415 in honor of King Chandragupta II, who died in 413. Initially, it was located in the east of the country, was crowned with the image of the sacred bird Garuda and stood in front of the temple. In 1050, King Anang Pola brought her to Delhi.

The column weighs about 6.5 tons, its height is 7.3 m, the diameter at the base is 41.6 cm, at the top it is 29.5 cm. It is made of almost pure iron (99.720% iron) and contains only minor impurities, which explains its corrosion resistance.

Guides often tell legends about its exclusivity. According to one of them, stainless steel was used to create this monument. However, an analysis made by the Indian scientist Chedari shows that the Delhi column does not contain alloying elements leading to increased corrosion resistance.

Chemical composition of the column material:

Carbon - 0.08

Silicon - 0.046

Sulfur - 0.006

Phosphorus - 0.114

Nitrogen - 0.032

Iron - 99,722

The top of the iron pillar in Delhi,

Scientists from the Kanpur Institute of Technology discovered that the column contains an unexpected amount of phosphorus, which, by reacting with iron, water and oxygen, created a kind of protective anti-corrosion surface layer. Scientists believe that the ancient blacksmiths did not have unique knowledge of the chemistry of alloys, but selected the composition of iron empirically.

Ancient India was generally famous for the art of its metallurgists. In many ancient temples, there are iron beams up to 6 m long. Historians report that those used in the construction Egyptian pyramids iron tools for stone processing were made in South India, which had a brisk trade with Rome, Egypt and Greece. India was so famous in the East for its steel products that the Persians, when talking about something superfluous and unnecessary, had a saying: "To bring steel to India."

How was this column made?

Some even say that modern metallurgists have not yet learned how to do anything like this. This is wrong. Nowadays, they have learned to make both stainless steel and iron of such purity as the ancient metallurgists never dreamed of. And yet the art of the ancient masters is admirable.

There is still no consensus on the method of manufacturing the famous column. Some authors claim that it was cast, which is the least likely. Others believe that when smelting "by eye", as happened in antiquity, very large deviations in the quality of the metal are possible. Here, they say, one of these exceptions could be a column. Still others suggest that the column was made by welding individual 36 kg blocks and then forging them.

According to one author, in order to obtain pure iron, ancient metallurgists ground a sponge of wrought iron into powder and sieved it. And then the resulting pure iron powder was heated to a red heat, and under the blows of a hammer, its particles stuck together into one whole - now this is called the powder metallurgy method. From such pieces of iron, perhaps, they blinded a huge column in Delhi.

An inscription dedicated to Vishnu and King Chandragupta II remained on the column.

The Sanskrit inscription indicates that the column was made during the reign of Chandragupta II (376-415), emperor of the Gupta dynasty, who ruled for the most part northern India from Bihar.

The iron column in Delhi gained popularity among Europeans after the work of the English orientalist and Indologist Alexander Cunningham. They brought approx. 150 years ago, the information is currently being criticized by researchers. So, Cunningham claimed that the height of the column was at least 60 feet (18 m), and the weight was 17 tons. In addition, from its description it follows that the column is solid, not welded. These conjectures were picked up by historians, and even later scientific research could no longer shake their faith in the miraculous properties of the “eternal” column.

A similar column large sizes, made in the III century, rises in Indian city Dhar.

Inquisitive scientists conducted a series of studies of iron columns in Dhar and Delhi. So, for example, British scientists took small pieces of metal from columns as samples for physical and chemical analysis in London. Upon arrival in London, it turned out that - the samples were covered with rust. Soon, the Swedish material scientist I. Vranglen and his colleagues discovered a zone of strong corrosion on the column. It turned out that in the area of embedding the column in the foundation, it rusted to a depth of 16 millimeters along the entire diameter.

Another mysterious monument of antiquity is the Buddha statue from Sultanganj, cast from pure copper and weighing more than a ton. According to scientists, this statue is at least 1500 years old and there is still no scientific explanation of how ancient Indian blacksmiths were able to make such a work of art.

Now the statue of the copper Buddha is in the Birmingham Museum and art gallery, and a plaque describing it reads: "The Buddha statue, which is about 1,500 years old, has survived virtually intact, making it a unique landmark in the world."

The iron column is so firmly planted in the ground,

that the cannonball fired at her by the conqueror

Nadir Shah in 1739 could not be knocked down,

nor even damage it, just leaving a small cavity.

Just half an hour from the center of the Indian capital, on one of the squares, there is an iron column more than one and a half thousand years old.

Since ancient times, crowds of pilgrims flocked to her - it was believed that whoever leaned his back against the column and wrapped his arms around her would be happy.

Chemical composition of the column material:

Carbon - 0.08

Silicon - 0.046

Sulfur - 0.006

Phosphorus - 0.114

Nitrogen - 0.032

Iron - 99,722

The top of the iron pillar in Delhi,

Scientists from the Kanpur Institute of Technology found that the column contained an unexpected amount of phosphorus, which, by reacting with iron, water and oxygen, created a kind of protective anti-corrosion surface layer. Scientists believe that the ancient blacksmiths did not have unique knowledge of the chemistry of alloys, but selected the composition of iron empirically.

Ancient India was generally famous for the art of its metallurgists. In many ancient temples, iron beams up to 6 m long are found. Historians report that the iron tools used in the construction of the Egyptian pyramids for stone processing were made in South India, which conducted a brisk trade with Rome, Egypt and Greece. India was so famous in the East for its steel products that the Persians, when talking about something superfluous and unnecessary, had a saying: "To bring steel to India."

How was this column made?

An inscription dedicated to Vishnu and King Chandragupta II remained on the column.

The Sanskrit inscription indicates that the pillar was made during the reign of Chandragupta II (376-415), emperor of the Gupta dynasty, who ruled much of northern India from Bihar.

A similar column of even larger size, made in the 3rd century, rises in the Indian city of Dhar.

Now the statue of the copper Buddha is in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and a plaque describing it reads: "The statue of the Buddha, which is about 1500 years old, has been preserved virtually intact, which makes it a unique attraction in the world."