louie Posted February 28, 2006 #1 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Standing at the center of the Quwwatul Mosque the Iron Pillar is one of Delhi's most curious structures. Dating back to 4th century A.D., the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375-413). How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing. http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_ironpillar.htm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted February 28, 2006 #2 Share Posted February 28, 2006 The ancient Indians were famous for their watered steel, who knows, they might of had stainless steel too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rykster Posted February 28, 2006 #3 Share Posted February 28, 2006 What about this part of the post? Mystery of Delhi's Iron Pillar unraveled New Delhi, July 18: Experts at the Indian Institute of Technology have resolved the mystery behind the 1,600-year-old iron pillar in Delhi, which has never corroded despite the capital's harsh weather. Metallurgists at Kanpur IIT have discovered that a thin layer of "misawite", a compound of iron, oxygen and hydrogen, has protected the cast iron pillar from rust. The protective film took form within three years after erection of the pillar and has been growing ever so slowly since then. After 1,600 years, the film has grown just one-twentieth of a millimeter thick, according to R. Balasubramaniam of the IIT. In a report published in the journal Current Science Balasubramanian says, the protective film was formed catalytically by the presence of high amounts of phosphorous in the iron—as much as one per cent against less than 0.05 per cent in today's iron. It's an iron pillar, so what else? The high phosphorous content is a result of the unique iron-making process practiced by ancient Indians, who reduced iron ore into steel in one step by mixing it with charcoal. Modern blast furnaces, on the other hand, use limestone in place of charcoal yielding molten slag and pig iron that is later converted into steel. In the modern process most phosphorous is carried away by the slag. The pillar—over seven metres high and weighing more than six tonnes—was erected by Kumara Gupta of Gupta dynasty that ruled northern India in AD 320-540. Stating that the pillar is "a living testimony to the skill of metallurgists of ancient India", Balasubramaniam said the "kinetic scheme" that his group developed for predicting growth of the protective film may be useful for modeling long-term corrosion behaviour of containers for nuclear storage applications. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted February 28, 2006 #4 Share Posted February 28, 2006 India was renowned for many items, and advancements in numerology and medicine during its golden ages (Europena dark ages). I have many pieces of watered steel form my grandmother, who lives south of Trichi. They are very beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crouton Posted February 28, 2006 #5 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Where can I see pictures of watered steel? I have never heard of it. It sounds wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted February 28, 2006 #6 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Here's a sword hilt: http://www.simonray.com/images/met-images/...%20-%20250h.jpg The blades are prettier, I couldn't find a good picture...sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik touch Posted February 28, 2006 #7 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Standing at the center of the Quwwatul Mosque the Iron Pillar is one of Delhi's most curious structures. Dating back to 4th century A.D., the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375-413). How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing. http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_ironpillar.htm Quite amazing. But their are always some things that just happen to withstand for abnormally long times. In actual fact, from that picture, it looks like it is already starting to decompose. I dont know weather the facts are right too, because Vishnu is a deity from the Hinduism and a Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, which are completly different Religions, with completely different beliefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted February 28, 2006 #8 Share Posted February 28, 2006 How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery There you go. erm....many people won't like your Icon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00000000000000000000000000 Posted March 1, 2006 #9 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glacies Posted March 1, 2006 #10 Share Posted March 1, 2006 wow, that is a gorgeous blade...amazing testimony to their skills in metallurgy. incredible article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piney Posted March 1, 2006 #11 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Also they used bog iron which is far more rust resistant than the iron from hematite ore they use today. The sad part about it is bog iron is renewable and forms in the bottom of acidic standing water were you have to destroy the earth to extract hematite. But the processing of hematite is cheaper. Here in the Pine Barrens a ore bed will renew itself in 7 years. I have both a woodstove made of bog iron which is still perfect after 150 years in my den but my modern woodstove in my living room which is only 20 years old is starting to deteriorate. Lapi'che Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerberusxp Posted March 1, 2006 #12 Share Posted March 1, 2006 CHECK OUT THIS LINK damascus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerberusxp Posted March 1, 2006 #13 Share Posted March 1, 2006 (edited) There is another pillar some where but I cannot remember where it is not as tall as the one in Delhi. Edited March 1, 2006 by cerberusxp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artymoon Posted March 1, 2006 #14 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I saw a speck of rust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerberusxp Posted March 1, 2006 #15 Share Posted March 1, 2006 (edited) And this link pillar works now Edited March 1, 2006 by cerberusxp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crouton Posted March 1, 2006 #16 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Beautiful! Thanks all for the links! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darsawl Posted March 2, 2006 #17 Share Posted March 2, 2006 good old fasion clr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Voodoo Posted January 13, 2013 #18 Share Posted January 13, 2013 (edited) I wonder where Iron pillar of Delhi orginally stand? Edited January 13, 2013 by the L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harsh86_Patel Posted January 14, 2013 #19 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Rust free after so much weathering.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSearcher Posted January 14, 2013 #20 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I wonder where Iron pillar of Delhi orginally stand? The pillar was used as a trophy in the building the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the Qutb complex, that much can be established without a doubt. However R. Balasubramaniam, based on analysis of the metallurgy of the pillar, says it was originally located at the Udayagiri caves, situated near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. Rust free after so much weathering.... It's so for a reason the corrosion resistance results from an even layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate, forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which serves to protect it, and also the effects of the local Delhi climate, which alternates from wet to dry. I find it a real testament to the skill of ancient Indian blacksmiths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Voodoo Posted January 14, 2013 #21 Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) The pillar was used as a trophy in the building the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the Qutb complex, that much can be established without a doubt. However R. Balasubramaniam, based on analysis of the metallurgy of the pillar, says it was originally located at the Udayagiri caves, situated near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. Thanks a lot. That realy helped. However did Udayagiri caves can be called Vishnupada hill? Is there any hill at all? Do we seen other pillars there? Is there else more similar pillars? Also we only suggest who was Chandra, right? I adore Gupta empire. It was best time period in India and empire (+Mughal) in India in my opinion. Edited January 14, 2013 by the L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DieChecker Posted January 15, 2013 #22 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) Can't beleive I clicked "Like" to a post from 7 years ago! I've always wondered about this pillar, but never took the time to find out why it was not so rusty... Turns out it is the phosphorous.... Edited January 15, 2013 by DieChecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallidin Posted January 15, 2013 #23 Share Posted January 15, 2013 It's so for a reason the corrosion resistance results from an even layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate, forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which serves to protect it, and also the effects of the local Delhi climate, which alternates from wet to dry. I find it a real testament to the skill of ancient Indian blacksmiths. Maybe there's a more simple explanation: Perhaps it was "rubbed" a lot by pole dancers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallidin Posted January 15, 2013 #24 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Can't beleive I clicked "Like" to a post from 7 years ago! The Internet forums sure can make a little time seem like a whole lot, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted January 15, 2013 #25 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) India was renowned for many items, and advancements in numerology and medicine during its golden ages (Europena dark ages). I have many pieces of watered steel form my grandmother, who lives south of Trichi. They are very beautiful. Did you mean to write numerology? Or we're you referring to mathematics? Edit: didn't realise how old this thread was either. It's all 'the L''s fault! Edited January 15, 2013 by Timonthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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