India, of course, is called a wonderland, but there are things there that surprise even the local population. One of these miracles is the so-called Qutub Column, erected in Delhi on the square near the Qutub Minar. For one and a half thousand years, this structure has not been covered with rust.
Built in honor of the emperor
Another name for the column is the Delhi Pillar. Historical sources indicate that it was installed in 415 in memory of Emperor Chandragupta II, who died in 413. The Sanskrit inscription reads: "King Chandra, beautiful as the full moon, attained supreme power in this world and erected a column in honor of the god Vishnu."
At first, the column was not at all here, but in the east of India, where it stood in front of the Vishnu temple. However, in 1050, the then ruler of the country, Anang Pola, ordered the transfer of the pole to Delhi. It is not entirely clear how this task was accomplished, because the weight of the structure is about 6.5 tons, and the height is 7 meters 21 centimeters. This metal colossus can be compared to a three-story house.
Ancient "stainless steel"
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The Qutuba column consists of almost pure iron: its content is 99.72%. It has small specks of corrosion on it, but over the centuries it has not become rusty. And this despite the local climate: after all, from June to September in India there is a rainy season!
The most likely version: the post is made of stainless steel. But once the Indian scientist Chedari found out that in the composition of the Qutuba column there are no elements that enhance corrosion resistance. In addition, it remains questionable how it was possible to obtain such pure iron at all, because even today it is possible only as a result of complex metallurgical processes?
In this regard, hypotheses appeared that the column of Chandragupta was actually cast by the Atlanteans or even space aliens. Or that it is, at worst, made of meteorite iron. But even if we assume that the ancient Indians came across a "heavenly stone", how did they manage to forge such a colossus? After all, they did not own the technologies that we have! In addition, if a meteorite of this size fell from the sky, it would lead to disaster. However, the sources do not say anything about such a dramatic event.
Some experts believe that the pillar could have been cast not from a single piece of metal, but from separate krits (portions of iron weighing several tens of kilograms, obtained by heating or reducing ore without melting it).
Some of the supporters of this version even seemed to be able to see traces of welding and mechanical stress on the surface of the product. In addition, low sulfur concentration and non-metallic constituents may indicate that the iron has not been melted.
Iron Age craftsmen
Meanwhile, the chairman of the National Committee on the History of India, Dr. Subbarauapp, believes that the Delhi pillar could have been made earlier than the 5th century: the inscription speaks only of the time at which it was installed at the temple.
It is known that already in the 10th century, the Indians knew how to make iron tools: presumably it was they or their analogs that were used to build the Egyptian pyramids.
It is possible, experts believe, that the column was made, in modern terms, by the method of powder metallurgy. It consists in the fact that the wrought iron is first ground into powder, then sieved, calcined and finally "knocked down" with a hammer, turning it into a single monolith.
Atypical impurities?
Another hypothesis says that the metal of the Delhi Pillar does not rust due to impurities, the percentage of which in its composition is very negligible … The content of phosphorus in metal samples is five times higher than that in modern steel, but the content of manganese and sulfur is much lower.
But here's a curious fact: the samples taken quickly began to rust! If the metal contained elements that are resistant to corrosion, this would not have happened. Consequently, the Qutuba Column still remains a mystery that the most scrupulous researchers cannot explain.
Irina Shlionskaya