The Rustless Iron Pillar of Delhi, an Ancient Wonder
An impressive Iron Pillar stands proudly at the center of the courtyard of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque within the Qutub Complex in Mehrauli, Delhi.
"Some of the Indian savants told me that it was made of seven metals mixed together," noted the famous traveler Ibn Battuta. "Its length is thirty cubits; and its circumference eight. A space equal to the fore-finger on this pillar has been polished; and it is very bright. Even iron produces no effect on the pillar."
The Iron Pillar is particularly notable for its remarkable resistance to corrosion. It was dug out in 1961 for chemical treatment. The pillar is a solid shaft made of welded wrought iron, with only slight signs of rust. There is a horizontal fissure believed to be caused by a cannonball strike.
The dimensions of the pillar are as follows: The total length is 7.16 meters (about 23 feet and 6 inches), with 94 cm underground. In 1997, a fence was erected around it. There are a few Sanskrit inscriptions on the pillar.
The Brahman also predicted that as long as the pillar stood, the dominion would remain with King Anang Pal's family.
However, harboring doubts about the Brahmin's claim, the king ordered the pillar to be excavated. Upon doing so, the foot of the pillar was found wet with the blood of Vasuki, indicating that it had indeed pierced the serpent king's head.
The king regretted his lack of faith and reinstalled the pillar, but despite his efforts, it remained loose in the ground due to his initial disbelief.
This Dhili Killi (loose pillar), is said to be the origin of the name of the ancient city of Delhi.
"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 earth; though he, the king, as if wearied, has quit this earth, and has gone to the other world, moving in (bodily) form to the land (of paradise) won by (the merit of his) actions, (but) remaining on (this) earth by (the memory of his) fame."
"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 full moon (meaning of Chandra is 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."
A short inscription on the pillar reads, "In 1052, Anang Pal founded Delhi."
The king's achievements mentioned in the inscription are as follows:
Some of the scholars who solved the mystery of inscriptions on the Iron Pillar were James Prinsep, Bhau Daji, J. F. Fleet, Vincent Smith and R. Balasubramaniam. Bhau Daji recognized the name of the king mentioned in the inscription as "Chandra." J. F. Fleet subsequently identified Chandra as Chandragupta, the founder of the Gupta dynasty. However, the documented conquests of Samudragupta suggest that the territories ruled by his predecessor, Chandragupta, were relatively modest in size, raising doubts about the extent of his military campaigns into regions such as Bengal or Balk.
Pandit Haraprasad Shastri and Babu Nagendra Nath Vasu proposed that Chandra may be the Pushkarana king Chandravarman. B. G. Bhattacharya opposed this claim, who argued that Chandravarman ruled a small territory and recognized the supremacy of the Gupta emperors. In the opinion of Shriram Goyal, the author of "A history of the Imperial Guptas," King Chandra is, in fact, Samudragupta, who was also known by the name Chandraprakasa.
Based on Paleographic (the study of scripts) studies, King Chandra referred in the inscription, could either be Samudragupta (approx AD 340-376) or his son, Chandragupta II, popularly known as Vikramaditya (approx AD 376-414). The words in the inscription, "The king has quit this earth, and has gone to the other world," indicate that Chandra was not alive at the time the inscription was engraved. Hence, the composer of the inscription must be Chandragupta II or his son, Kumaragupta (approx AD 414-455).
According to B. G. Bhattacharya, the Iron Pillar was originally erected in the country of the Vahlikas, corresponding to present-day Balochistan. Vincent Arthur Smith suggests that the Mount Vishnupada, mentioned as the pillar's location, could be in Mathura, an ancient pilgrimage center that was part of the Gupta empire and was not far from Delhi. In the opinion of J. Ph. Vogel, the temples in Mathura are predominantly Buddhist or Jain, with very few dedicated to the worship of Vishnu. He also noted that the mounds in Mathura are not natural hills but rather tumuli, leading him to conclude that the original site of the pillar was likely in ancient Magadha (modern Bihar) or a neighboring region. Since there is a short inscription of Anang Pal on it, many scholars believe that it was this king, who shifted the pillar to Delhi.
R. Balasubramaniam asserts that the pillar was originally located at Udayagiri, (Madhya Pradesh), a site famous for its rock-cut caves and temples from the Gupta Period. Udayagiri has a long-standing tradition of Vaishnavite worship that predates the Gupta era, and the practice of footprint worship is also well established in this area. Balasubramaniam adds that Sultan Iltutmish transported the pillar to Delhi. It was part of the spoils brought to Delhi after the plunder of Malwa by Iltutmish.
In summary, it is reasonable to conclude that the Mehrauli Iron Pillar was built by Chandragupta Vikramaditya and inscribed by his son, Kumaragupta. The original location of the pillar was Udayagiri.
Facts and Fancies about the Iron Pillar of Old-Delhi. J. Ph. Vogel
Story of the Delhi Iron Pillar By R. Balasubramaniam
"Some of the Indian savants told me that it was made of seven metals mixed together," noted the famous traveler Ibn Battuta. "Its length is thirty cubits; and its circumference eight. A space equal to the fore-finger on this pillar has been polished; and it is very bright. Even iron produces no effect on the pillar."
The Iron Pillar is particularly notable for its remarkable resistance to corrosion. It was dug out in 1961 for chemical treatment. The pillar is a solid shaft made of welded wrought iron, with only slight signs of rust. There is a horizontal fissure believed to be caused by a cannonball strike.
The dimensions of the pillar are as follows: The total length is 7.16 meters (about 23 feet and 6 inches), with 94 cm underground. In 1997, a fence was erected around it. There are a few Sanskrit inscriptions on the pillar.
Legend about the Pillar
Legend has it that King Anang Pal, the founder of the Tomar dynasty of Delhi, erected this pillar. A learned Brahmin assured the king that the base of the pillar was driven so deeply into the ground that it rested upon the head of Vasuki, the mythical king of serpents who supports the earth, and hence the pillar was immovable.The Brahman also predicted that as long as the pillar stood, the dominion would remain with King Anang Pal's family.
However, harboring doubts about the Brahmin's claim, the king ordered the pillar to be excavated. Upon doing so, the foot of the pillar was found wet with the blood of Vasuki, indicating that it had indeed pierced the serpent king's head.
The king regretted his lack of faith and reinstalled the pillar, but despite his efforts, it remained loose in the ground due to his initial disbelief.
This Dhili Killi (loose pillar), is said to be the origin of the name of the ancient city of Delhi.
Inscription on the Iron Pillar (Translation by J. F. Fleet - 1888)
"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) Sindu, the Vahlikas were conquered; he, by the breezes of whose prowess the southern ocean is perfumed even today.""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 earth; though he, the king, as if wearied, has quit this earth, and has gone to the other world, moving in (bodily) form to the land (of paradise) won by (the merit of his) actions, (but) remaining on (this) earth by (the memory of his) fame."
"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 full moon (meaning of Chandra is 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."
A short inscription on the pillar reads, "In 1052, Anang Pal founded Delhi."
Inscription on the Iron Pillar (Translation by Vincent Smith - 1897)
"This lofty standard of the divine Vishnu was erected on Mount Vishnupada by King Chandra, whose thoughts were devoted in faith to Vishnu. The beauty of that king's countenance was as that of the full moon; by him, with his own arm, sole world-wide dominion was acquired and long held; and although, as if wearied, he has in bodily form quit this earth, and passed to the other-world country won by his merit, yet, like the embers of a quenched fire in a great forest, the glow of his foe-destroying energy quits not the earth; by the breezes of his prowess the southern ocean is still perfumed; by him, having crossed the seven mouths of the Indus, were the Vahlikas vanquished in battle; and when, warring in the Vanga countries, he breasted and destroyed the enemies confederate against him, fame was inscribed on (their) arm by his sword.Who is the Mysterious King Chandra?
It is widely accepted that the Iron Pillar was built during the Gupta period (AD 320-495). Yet, there remained considerable uncertainty about the identification of King Chandra mentioned in the inscriptions, as well as the original location of the pillar.The king's achievements mentioned in the inscription are as follows:
- King Chandra was a great conqueror.
- He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu.
- He defeated his enemies in the Vanga countries (Bengal).
- He crossed the river Indus and conquered the Vahlikas (Bactria of the ancient Greeks, ie, modern Balkh on the Oxus in the northern part of Afghanistan).
- He acquired supreme sovereignty by his own abilities.
- His dominions extended to the southern ocean.
- He reigned for a long time.
- The Pillar was set up in honour of Lord Vishnu on a hill named Vishnupada (Vishnu's foot).
Some of the scholars who solved the mystery of inscriptions on the Iron Pillar were James Prinsep, Bhau Daji, J. F. Fleet, Vincent Smith and R. Balasubramaniam. Bhau Daji recognized the name of the king mentioned in the inscription as "Chandra." J. F. Fleet subsequently identified Chandra as Chandragupta, the founder of the Gupta dynasty. However, the documented conquests of Samudragupta suggest that the territories ruled by his predecessor, Chandragupta, were relatively modest in size, raising doubts about the extent of his military campaigns into regions such as Bengal or Balk.
Pandit Haraprasad Shastri and Babu Nagendra Nath Vasu proposed that Chandra may be the Pushkarana king Chandravarman. B. G. Bhattacharya opposed this claim, who argued that Chandravarman ruled a small territory and recognized the supremacy of the Gupta emperors. In the opinion of Shriram Goyal, the author of "A history of the Imperial Guptas," King Chandra is, in fact, Samudragupta, who was also known by the name Chandraprakasa.
Based on Paleographic (the study of scripts) studies, King Chandra referred in the inscription, could either be Samudragupta (approx AD 340-376) or his son, Chandragupta II, popularly known as Vikramaditya (approx AD 376-414). The words in the inscription, "The king has quit this earth, and has gone to the other world," indicate that Chandra was not alive at the time the inscription was engraved. Hence, the composer of the inscription must be Chandragupta II or his son, Kumaragupta (approx AD 414-455).
Was he Chandragupta Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II)?
Prominent scholars such as Dr. Hoernle, Vincent Smith and R. Balasubramaniam, ascribe the pillar to Chandragupta II, during whose reign the Gupta empire reached its zenith. Chandragupta II bore the title of Paramabhagavata, meaning "the most devout worshiper of Vishnu." His coins feature the abbreviated name "Chandra," while his full title and name are inscribed in the circular legend.Original Location of the Pillar
The pillar is neither a vijaya-stambha (pillar of victory) or a kirti-stambha (pillar of fame), but rather a dhvaja-stambha (symbolic flagstaff) dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It appears that the pillar was erected as a standard to support an effigy of Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, as indicated by a rectangular slot at the top. Originally, it was likely installed in a Vishnu temple on a hill by King Chandra before the inscription was prepared, which may have been engraved by his son at a later date.According to B. G. Bhattacharya, the Iron Pillar was originally erected in the country of the Vahlikas, corresponding to present-day Balochistan. Vincent Arthur Smith suggests that the Mount Vishnupada, mentioned as the pillar's location, could be in Mathura, an ancient pilgrimage center that was part of the Gupta empire and was not far from Delhi. In the opinion of J. Ph. Vogel, the temples in Mathura are predominantly Buddhist or Jain, with very few dedicated to the worship of Vishnu. He also noted that the mounds in Mathura are not natural hills but rather tumuli, leading him to conclude that the original site of the pillar was likely in ancient Magadha (modern Bihar) or a neighboring region. Since there is a short inscription of Anang Pal on it, many scholars believe that it was this king, who shifted the pillar to Delhi.
R. Balasubramaniam asserts that the pillar was originally located at Udayagiri, (Madhya Pradesh), a site famous for its rock-cut caves and temples from the Gupta Period. Udayagiri has a long-standing tradition of Vaishnavite worship that predates the Gupta era, and the practice of footprint worship is also well established in this area. Balasubramaniam adds that Sultan Iltutmish transported the pillar to Delhi. It was part of the spoils brought to Delhi after the plunder of Malwa by Iltutmish.
In summary, it is reasonable to conclude that the Mehrauli Iron Pillar was built by Chandragupta Vikramaditya and inscribed by his son, Kumaragupta. The original location of the pillar was Udayagiri.
Notes
There are several other inscriptions on the pillar, which are of no historical importance.Reference
The Rustless Wonder: A Study of the Iron Pillar at Delhi By Tanjore Ramachandra AnantharamanFacts and Fancies about the Iron Pillar of Old-Delhi. J. Ph. Vogel
Story of the Delhi Iron Pillar By R. Balasubramaniam
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