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“Story of the Delhi Iron Pillar by R. Balasubramaniam; Foundation Books; Price: Rs.195; 140 pp.
srinidhilv wrote this review Wednesday, September 5 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
With the world’s second largest steel plant owner London-based Laxmi Mittal having submitted a bid to acquire France’s Arcelor, India is once again at the centre of the metallurgical world’s attention. Only this time it is in terms of quantity. What most of us, especially young primary and secondary school children are unaware is that India’s were the pioneers in the art and science of metallurgy and were producing corrosion-resistant steel and iron way back in the circa 1400.
There are several examples of the ingenuity of Indian metallurgists in the form of permanent installations, museum exhibits and pillars installed at various places of worship across the country. A classic example of ancient India’s leadership in producing quality iron and steel is the 32 ft tall iron pillar installed in the popular tourist spot Qutub complex in Delhi. The pillar believed to be over 1,600 years old has not rusted or succumbed to atmospheric corrosion despite it being exposed to the elements and weather throughout. Several scientists and metallurgists have conducted detailed studies and propounded theories about the pillars fascinating anti-corrosive properties.
The latest book on Delhi’s iron pillar is perhaps Prof. R. Balasubramaniam’s Story of the Delhi Iron Pillar — the second and simplified version of his earlier book on the subject ___________ which was aimed at metallurgical professionals, scholars and academics. Unlike his previous volumes on the subject this book is written for the general reader and particularly at the secondary school students who are overburdened with rote-learning pedagogies. The book aims to ignite an interest in history, metallurgy and archaeology and encourage students to undertake fieldwork and self study. “The iron pillar in Delhi fascinates scientists all over the world, due to its excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion. In fact, this is one of the main reasons the pillar is famous throughout the academic world. One of the reasons that prompted me to write this book was the constant requests from students for an easily accessible book on the pillar in simple, jargon-free language,” writes the author introducing the treatise.
The Story of the Delhi Iron Pillar traces the history of the iron pillar and also makes an attempt to analyse and explain how, why and where it was originally installed and also how it was finally brought to Delhi by invading moghul armies and installed in the Qutub Complex. The book also describes the pillar’s structure in detail with several illustrations, pictures and drawings to help readers visualise the pillar’s construct. Story of the Delhi Iron Pillar unravels the mystery behind the pillar’s resistance to corrosion for over sixteen centuries and discusses the amazing process by which the pillar was manufactured using the technical know-how available at the time.
The book is a must read for Indophiles, history and metallurgy enthusiasts and even travellers who want more information than what the guidebooks provide would find this volume highly informative. Written as a simple, easy-to-understand narrative, the book features numerous photographs and elaborate illustrations to enhance the discussion.
Written by Prof. R. Balasubramanian who teaches corrosion engineering and Indian archeo-metallurgy at IIT-Kharagpur since 1990, the book is well organised into five sections — Introduction, History of the Iron Pillar, Structural Features of the Pillar, Manufacturing Methodology and The Pillar’s Resistance Corrosion — each dealing with a different aspect of the pillar. The book is a useful volume for history and science teachers to plan supplemental lesson plans, as also for the secondary school student interested in history/ metallurgy. For the layman it is a veritable information resource about the glorious metallurgical traditions of ancient India. ”
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