The Enigma of the Iron Pillar of Delhi
The Iron Pillar of Delhi in 1858
Photo credit: British Library - photo by Robert and Harriet Tytler, 1858
On the outskirts of modern day Delhi is an ancient enigma - an iron pillar that’s been standing in the wind and rain, the summer heat and humidity for more than 1,600 years. It has hardly shown any sign of corrosion in all the years it has stood amidst the elements. It carries an inscription on it in the Sanskrit language, but in the older Brahmi script which predates Sanskrit writing. This inscription speaks of King Chandra II (most likely Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty) and his dominion stretching from the Himalayas in the north, to Bengal in the west, to the Narmada river in the south and the Indus in the east. Chandragupta was a devotee of Vishnu, the primary avatar of God from the ancient Vedas. It is believed that the Iron Pillar itself was a Garuda Stamba where an effigy of the bird carrier of Vishnu would have been slotted into the top. It is common for Vishnu temples in India to have a Garuda Stamba in front of the main entrance with Garuda facing inwards.
Table of Contents
How has the Iron Pillar not rusted over the last 1,600 years?
The Iron Pillar
Because of the forge welding process the iron included what would be considered impurities, slag and other byproducts of the smelting process. Dr. Ramamurthy Subramaniam who studied the pillar extensively concluded that since ancient Indian ironsmiths did not use lime in the smelting process, the phosphorus in the ore was never removed and the impurities oxidised and interacted with the high concentration of phosphorus in the iron, to create a ‘passive protective film’ which essentially halts the rusting process. Subramaniam stated that this pillar is "a living testimony to the skill of metallurgists of ancient India". The ancient smiths who cast the Iron Pillar clearly knew how to preserve this ancient signpost for millennia. It has drawn the interest of archeologists, indologists and experts in metallurgy for centuries.
Qutub Minar and the Afghan Muslims of North India
The iron pillar itself is situated in the courtyard of a temple complex which was once a Vishnu temple in the long forgotten past. Around the pillar are the remnants of a mosque and the largest single minaret in the world, the Qutub Minar. When the iron pillar was already potentially 800 years old or more, then the Afghan Muslims came and took control of huge swathes of North India, including modern day Delhi. Where the pillar stood they erected a mosque and a complex around the victory tower of the Qutub Minar. The Afghans were all over the north of the subcontinent for many centuries and ultimately melted into the mixing pot that is modern day India.
India’s History
When you start researching the various dynasties of kings, the Mughals, the Afghans, the Kushans, the Greeks and the ancient civilizations that predated all of them, it becomes clear that India’s history, recent or ancient, is not of a homogenous people that are easily understood. It is a complex and layered story that really requires you to live in the country to come to grips with much of it.
Our Photography Expeditions
Dustin and I have been making excursions on our motorcycle around Uttar Pradesh and to neighboring Rajasthan for photo opportunities. The Iron Pillar and Qutub Minar was right on our doorstep, so we took a drive in the summer heat to find out a little more about this place. The summer heat in western Uttar Pradesh can get up to a scorching 50 celsius (120 Fahrenheit for our American readers) and will nearly melt the tires off your vehicle. We left in the dark in the early morning and arrived there before the sun was high in the sky to get our shots in. We managed to get some great shots of the huge Qutub Minar tower but unfortunately the Iron Pillar itself and the archway behind it was getting some renovation so we’ll have to come back another day to capture the Iconic shot of the Iron Pillar from the front.
India is definitely a land of many wonders!
The People…
It’s easy to miss the human element when you are shooting ancient sites in India. There are only so many amazing shots of beautiful temples and ancient fortresses you can capture before you start looking at the people! Dustin has captured some amazing portraits both for clients and in the spur of the moment while walking the streets of India. This is one of them taken at the grounds of Qutub Minar.
The Prints
We are always trying to carefully curate what we shoot, share much of it online and pick only the best to make available as prints in our collection. On this trip we were unable to capture any print worthy images of the Iron Pillar with the arch behind it as it was under renovations. You can check out all our prints here www.indiaphotoprints.com/prints
Click on any of the pictures below to check out the prints in more detail in our print store.
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