The Ancient Metal Miners of Vadnagar, Delwara and Mandli, Western India

Abstract

Abstract India is dotted with myriads of ancient metal mines or old workings in almost all the states, some of which have great antiquity (>4,000 yrs) and reaching considerable depth (upto 260 m). These stand as testimony to the mining skill of our ancestors, especially in the absence of mining tools. Several of these old metal mines, when explored by modern methods have yielded sizable deposits e.g. Hutti, Bhukia (gold), Rajpura-Dariba (multi-metal), Agucha (lead-zinc-silver), Agnigundala (lead-copper), Khetri (copper), etc. A few ancient Indian treatises describe the processes of metal extraction from the ores but records are scanty on the methods of mining and mining communities. Most experts consider that, the history of mining in India is obscured in the mist of antiquity and opine that ‘we lack the knowledge of old miners of India, as to who they were, from where they came or what was their fate’. The trailblazers though did not leave direct records nevertheless the opportunity is not closed to reconstruct missing pages related to ancient metal miners in the history of mining in India. An attempt has been made in this paper to bring out details of these miners based on comprehensive study and analysis of archaeological, geological, ancient metallurgical, historical, etymological and modern age data in conjunction with locals in the field, especially on those who were active in mining in border areas of present Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in western India. It resulted in establishing the people of Vadnagar, Delwara and Mandli localities as expert miners, who were responsible for opening and operating a large number of mines in the region viz. Ambaji, Bhukia, Delwara, Khandia, Zawar, etc. Archaeological evidences and radiocarbon dates attest to a Chalcolithic to pre-historical period of some of these old mines. Nomenclature of some gold bearing rivers and gold mining localities in the country displaying Vedic gold names speaks for their antiquity. Mauryans (321-185 BC) accelerated metal mining in their empire, which was followed by other dynasties till Rajputs who were assisted by tribal Bhils. The knowhow of ancient metal miners of Vadnagar, Delwara and Mandli seems to have descended from Mahabharata and Harappan tradition of Gujarat (3950-900 BC) and Ahar-Banas (3600-1800 BC) culture of Rajasthan. During Mughal invasions many miners and metal workers had migrated to remote Himalayan areas (present Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) or Hindu kingdoms (present Maharashtra, Odisha) where they adopted nomenclature of their place of origin (Vadnagar, Delwara and Mandli) to their new settlements. Some of these experts took-up mining profession while others developed expertise as blacksmiths/ whitesmiths or even agriculturists. Zinc coins of Kangra (14th Century AD) kings seem to have produced by these migrating metal experts who knew the technique of zinc distillation from ore of Zawar mines, the people of which are considered as first to smelt Industrial zinc in the world.