1. Introduction to Ratna-shastra (gemmology) literature

India has always been a land of precious gems.. Harappan sites, specially Mohenjo-daro, have yielded, on archaeological excavations, a bewildering variety of gems of different types and diverse origins. After the collapse of the Harappan civilization and eastward migration of population from the valley of the (drying up) Sarasvati river, Indian society took more than a millennium to re-organise itself in the sub-continent. The first millennium B.C. in Northern India started with the second phase of urbanisation, and during the middle of this period, the contacts with the South India, Aechemenid empire in Persia and Afghanistan resulted in exploitation of internal mineral resources, import of gem minerals and their processing. The previous chapters contain references to the gem minerals mentioned in the Vedic and post-Vedic literatures, Astadhwavi Kautilya Arthasastra, the epics, the Buddhist and Jain canonical texts etc. Gemmology as a subject was however developed only in the post-Christian era. Some Key Indian texts containing references on gemmology or ratna-shastra have been listed in TableVII-1 as well as at the end of this chapter. Some of the dates given in the table are approximate. The rise of monarchial powers, urbanisation and international trade resulted in widespread imports and exports

1 VII-2 of gem minerals. Many battles and conquests took place for acquisitior of fertile lands as well as mines of precious metals, ores, and gem minerals. The second century A. D. Tamil text Shilappadikaram was one of the early literatures which recorded the grandeur of the gem markets in India and the Indo-Roman trade related to gems. During and after the ascendency of the Gupta Period, outstanding Sanskrit literatures on gemmology such as Brihat Samhita, Ratnapariksa, Agastimata etc. were published. Some Prakrit literatures like Angavijja are also worthy of notice. One millennium of Indian studies on gems culminated in the 13th 14th Century A.D. compendium texts such as Rasaratna-samuccaya, Rayanaparikkha. In the 19 t century, S.M. Tagore published Manimata, a beautiful collection. of extracts from the earlier Sanskrit texts related to Ratnashastra.

VII-3 TABLE VII - 1 SOME INDIAN TEXTS CONTAINING REFERENCES TO GEMMOLOGY (RATNASASTRA) End of the 4th Century B.C. 300 B.C. 200 B.C. End of 2 nd Century A.D. 270 A.D. 4th Century A.D. 450 A.D. 505 A.D. Early 6th Century A.D. Late 6th Kautiliya Arthasastra. Mahavagga Chulla-vagga references to Beryl Jaina Canonical text Acaranga Sutra Tamil text Shilappadikaram Yavanajataka of Sphujidhvaja. The earlier Greek text dated 150 A. D. Angavija, the text in Prakrt on prognostication, Kamasutra of Vatsayana. Amarakosa, the lexicon of Amarasimha Brhat Samhita of Varahamihira Ratnapariksa of Budhabhatta Century A.D. Agastimata 8th Century A.D. Nitisara and Garuda Purana 1075 Yuktikalpataru of Bhoja 1130 Manasollasa of Someswara 1250 1260 13th Century A.D. 1315 1879 Rajanighantu of Narahari Navaratnapariksa of Narayana Rasa-Ratna-Samuccava of Vagabhatacarya. Rayanaparikkha of Thakkura Pheru. Manimala, Compilation by S.M. Tagore.