DDK HistoryF.p65 - CSIR

6.3J MAGADHAN CONTROL OF METALS 155
The main struggle was inevitably between Kosala and Magadha;
but simultaneously both fought against the tribes. Kosala was far the
more powerful in appearance, with its far greater territory, longer
historical background; support of the priests who had received village
grants, and some sort of pfoto-feudal nobility like the local ksatriya
administrator Payasi Rajanna (DN. 23). The land was not densely
cultivated, and still contained many forest savages besides higher tribes
like the Sakyans. Magadha had something far more important: the
metals, and proximity to the river. Looking over the old traditional
capitals, one is struck by the solitary occurrence of Rajgir
(=rajagrha, ‘the king’s house’) on the otter side of the river, whereas
the chain of Aryan settlements had all its links far to the north along the
Himalayan foothills. To this day, the environs of Rajgir preserve a
comparatively wild appearance. The reason for a capital so far out of
the way in what is not the most fertile land becomes clear when it is
noted that the Barabar hills contain the northernmost known Dharwar
outcrop, with quickly accessible iron encrustations. Rajgir had the first
immediate source of iron at its disposal Secondly, it straddled (with
Gaya, to which the passage was through denser forest) the main route
to India’s heaviest deposits of both iron and copper, to the south-east
in the Dhalbhum and Singh-bhum districts. To this day, ancient but
forgotten copper lodes are found under villages whose names begin
with Tam (=copper), e.g. Tamar; Tamluk was the ancient copper port a
century or two later. The Indus valley copper came from Rajasthan or
the south, in smaller quantities. Thus Magadha had a near-monopoly
over the main source of contemporary power, the metals. The great
Magadhan theorist of statecraft, Ganakya, was fully aware of the
importance of mining : “ The treasury depends upon mining, the army
upon treasure “ (Arth. 2.12). “ The mine is the womb of war materials
“ (Arth. 7.14).
Details of the triangular contest may be gleaned from our records.
The Kosalan drive southwards to Banaras had already become legend.
The fabulous king Brahmadatta of Banaras had some success against
Kosala, to the extent of capturing and executing its king Dighiti with his
queen (Maha-vagga 10.2 ; Jat. 428).