BY THE ANCIENT HINDUS, 



247 



of the following things : " and also the cotton of the silk- 

 cotton tree and iron joined with flint." 138 This suggests at 

 once the ordinary Indian tinderbox commonly called Rama- 

 svami, from the figure of the idol on its top. 



The word for "flint" is in Tamil iakkimukki or mkimuki, 

 and in Telugu cakimuki. If these terms are not onomato- 

 poetic, imitating the sound when the flint is struck, they 

 may be regarded as derivations (tadbhauams) from the 

 Sanskrit sikhamukha, flame-mouth. 



I trust thus to have proved that gunpowder and firearms 

 were known in India in the most ancient times, that the state- 

 ment in the Sukranlti about powder is supported by the Niti- 

 prakasika of Vaisampayana, and that the quotation from the 

 Bajalaksmmarayanahrdaya, a part of the ancient Atharva- 

 narahasya, is an additional proof of it. I contend further 

 that the knowledge of making gunpowder was never for- 

 gotten in India ; but, that it was not earlier known in Europe 

 is partly due to the isolated position of India, and partly 

 also to the want of saltpetre in Europe, which prevented 

 European nations from discovering the oxydizing properties 

 of saltpetre. Moreover it must not be forgotten, that the 

 preparation of gunpowder, even after it had become 

 known, was kept everywhere a deep secret. The ancient 

 Hindus enjoyed a well-deserved reputation as skilful arti- 

 ficers in iron and steel, the manipulation of which metals 

 requires a considerable amount of ability, and these circum- 

 stances go surely far enough to justify the conclusion that 

 the ancient Hindus were as well able to prepare firearms 

 as the modern Hindus are now-a-days. 138 I further believe 

 to have proved through quotations from the Nitiprakasika, 

 the Naisadha, and even by incidental evidence from Manu 

 that firearms were well known in ancient times, though the 



138 See Nitiprakasika, VI, 51 ; Salmalltulikam caiva vapyasmasarasmasam- 

 yutam. — The Rumpa hillmen, e.g,, dig and smelt the iron-ore and cast it into 

 musket-barrels, 



