Iron Pillar of Delhi

Also called: Mehrauli Iron Pillar · Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 7 "The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity"

Meaning

The Iron Pillar of Delhi (also called the Mehrauli Iron Pillar) is an iron pillar of the Gupta age. It weighs about 6 tonnes, is over 1,600 years old and has still not rusted [4]. Its Sanskrit inscription calls it a standard (flag-staff) of the god Vishnu, set up in memory of a king named Chandra. Historians identify this king with Chandragupta II [3].

It matters for two reasons. It shows how skilled Gupta iron-workers were. It is also one of the few dated records of Chandragupta II's reign and his faith in Vishnu.

Explanation

Background: the king and his faith

• Chandragupta II ruled c. 375–415 CE. He was the son of Samudragupta [2].
• He took the title "Vikramaditya", which means "Sun of Valour" [2].
• He was a devotee of Vishnu. Vishnu's mount, the bird Garuda, appears on many of his coins and inscriptions.
• The pillar shows the same faith:
• The pillar is dedicated to Vishnu.
• In its inscription it is called a Vishnudhvaja, which means the standard (flag-staff) of Vishnu [3].
• So the king's personal religion was put on public display in metal.

Main features: size, material and inscription

• Weight: about 6 tonnes.
• Height: about 7.2 m (23.5 feet) in total. About 5.2 m (17 feet) of it stands above the ground [4].
• Material: iron that contains small amounts of phosphorus, carbon and manganese [4].
• Inscription:
• It has six lines of Sanskrit in Brahmi script and is dated to the fourth century CE [3].
• It says the pillar was set up on a hill called Vishnupada ("footprint of Vishnu") in memory of a mighty king named Chandra [3].
• This "Chandra" is identified with Chandragupta II. The inscription does not give his full name, so this is an identification made by historians.

Why it has not rusted

• What the NCERT chapter says: the special iron reacted with the oxygen in the air and formed a thin protective layer on the surface. This layer keeps rust out.
• What scientists add:
• The phosphorus in the iron probably helped form this protective coating.

• The full reason is still not settled [4].

• For the exam, remember the NCERT line: protective layer = no rust.

How it changed place over time

• Where it first stood: probably in front of the Udayagiri caves in Madhya Pradesh [4].
• The move: it was carried to Delhi centuries later [4].
• Where it stands now: in the middle courtyard of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, inside the Qutb Minar complex at Mehrauli, Delhi [3][4].
• Result: a Gupta monument to Vishnu now stands inside a much later mosque complex. One site holds layers from very different periods.

Time, place and evidence

• Period: the Gupta age (c. 300–600 CE). The inscription is dated to the fourth century CE [3]. It is linked to the reign of Chandragupta II (c. 375–415 CE) [2].
• Dynasty and ruler: the Gupta dynasty, under Chandragupta II "Vikramaditya", a devotee of Vishnu.
• First site: probably the Udayagiri caves, Madhya Pradesh [4].
• Present site: the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque courtyard, Qutb Minar complex, Mehrauli, Delhi [3][4].
• Heritage status: the Qutb Minar complex, which holds the pillar, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site [5].
• How we know:
• The inscription: Sanskrit in Brahmi script. It names the pillar a Vishnudhvaja on Vishnupada hill, set up for king Chandra [3].
• The object itself: its metal, size and lack of rust are physical evidence of Gupta skill in working iron [4].
• Records kept by today's bodies: the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and UNESCO record the site [3][5].
• Other sources from the same reign: Chandragupta II's coins and other inscriptions, and the account of the Chinese pilgrim Faxian (in India 405–411 CE) [2]. Read together, they help place the pillar in its age.

Don't confuse with

• Chandragupta Maurya: the "Chandra" of the pillar is Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty. He is not the founder of the Maurya dynasty, who lived about 700 years earlier.
• Ashokan pillars: these are polished stone pillars of the Mauryan age, carrying Ashoka's messages of dhamma. The Delhi pillar is made of iron, is from the Gupta age and honours Vishnu.
• Qutb Minar: this is a tall stone tower of the Delhi Sultanate in the same complex. The Iron Pillar is far older (Gupta age) and was brought to Delhi from somewhere else.
• Udayagiri caves (Odisha): the pillar's probable first home is the Udayagiri caves of Madhya Pradesh [4]. Do not mix this up with the Udayagiri–Khandagiri caves of Odisha, which are Jain caves.

Prelims Hooks

• The Iron Pillar is about 6 tonnes in weight and about 7.2 m tall, with about 5.2 m above the ground [4].
• Inscription: in Sanskrit, written in Brahmi script. It calls the pillar a Vishnudhvaja set up on Vishnupada hill for king Chandra [3].
• "Chandra" = Chandragupta II (Gupta dynasty), not Chandragupta Maurya. This is a common trap.
• Present location: the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque courtyard, Qutb Minar complex, Mehrauli, Delhi, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site [3][5].
• Probable original location: the Udayagiri caves, Madhya Pradesh [4].
• Why no rust: a thin protective layer forms on the surface. Phosphorus in the iron probably helps, but the full reason is still debated [4].

Mains Points

• Proof of Gupta science and technology. An iron object of about 6 tonnes that has not rusted in over 1,600 years [4] shows advanced skill in metal-working. Use it alongside Gupta literature and astronomy (Kalidasa, Varahamihira at the court [2]) to show that the "Classical Age" was strong in technology too, not only in art and literature.
• Royal faith made public. The pillar, a Vishnudhvaja for king Chandra [3], put the ruler's Vishnu worship on show, in the same way as the Garuda on his coins. It is a good example of how religion and royal prestige were tied together in Gupta times.
• A monument with layers of history. It was set up probably at Udayagiri for Vishnu and later moved to a mosque courtyard in Delhi [4]. That makes it a good case for continuity and change at heritage sites. It also shows that historians must read the inscription, the object and its later setting together before drawing conclusions.

Related concepts

• Ramagupta
• Chandragupta II
• Garuda
• Navaratnas of Vikramaditya
• Amarakosha
• Prabhavati Gupta

Read more

• Chandragupta II and his court