Use of Iron and Material Growth

[Material Environment]tThe rise of Buddhism in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in the kingdoms of Magadha and Kosala can be understood in a wider sense range. The Buddha devoted most of his time in Bihar, and three councils were kept in particular position consecutively at Rajagriha, Vaisali and Pataliputra after his death. It is in fact a matter of question as to why north-eastern India became the cradle of Buddhism in the sixth-fourth centuries B.C. It further led to the question whether heretodox sects arise merely as a reaction to the ritual-ridden religion of the Vedic people. Ritualism was far more seen and entrenched in western Uttar Pradesh compared to eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where people reacted against it. The important developments in the material life of the people would lead us to the understanding of new religious movements.

The important aspect concerning the material life of the people around 700 B.C. in eastern U.P. and Bihar was the initiation of the use of iron in its second phase. The arrival of iron at Atranjikhera in Eta Distric in western U.P. around 1000 B.C. has been shown by one carbon-14 date, but in any case iron implements were used in the Gandhara area around 900 B.C. and in western Uttar Pradesh around 800 B.C. The gradual spreading of their use in eastern UP, and the discovery of iron slags in Rajghat hints at the bringing of the iron ore here for the manufacture of implements around 700 B.C. In the same way, the NBP phase in Prahladpur in the district of Varanasi marks the arrival of iron around 500 B.C. Evidences have been found of iron in Chirand in the district of saran in Bihar in the seventh-sixth centuries B.C., and mostly many unidentifiable iron slags and about five implements have been found in the uppermost levels of the pre-NBP phase associated with black-and-red pottery in Sonpur in the district of Gaya. This is the earliest association of black-and-red ware with iron in South Bihar. At his site the NBP phase includes many iron implements such as lances, spreadheads, arrowhead, daggers, axes, nails, chisels, blades, etc. Many iron slags found in Bhagalpur at the old site of campaelong to the early levels of the NBP and has been found in huge amounts there. It is now obvious that advancement in iron metallurgy in the sixth to fifth centuries B.C. was considerable.