One would find advanced scientific concepts in Ancient Hinduism.
These can be found in the Vedas,Ramayana, Mahabharata, Purana and Tamil classics.
The division of society on the basis of dispositions and profession ensured that there was harmonious growth.
The ancient tribes had specific functions.
One of them specialsed in Metal Smelting.
They were/are spread throughout India.
They are included in the generic name Asura.
The term is Asura means ‘Powerful’
‘the word, asura, is always used as an adjective meaning “powerful” or “mighty.
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Asurs are traditionally iron-smelters. They were once hunter gatherers, having also involved in shifting agriculture. However, majority of them shifted into agriculture with 91.19 percent enlisted as cultivators.
Their indigenous technology of iron smelting gives them a distinct identity; as they claim to have descended from the ancient asuras who were associated with the art of metal craft. When smelting, the Asur women sing a song relating the furnace to an expectant mother encouraging the furnace to give a healthy baby, i.e., good quality and quantity of iron from the ore; and were thence, according to Bera, associated with the fertility cult (Bera 1997:32)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asur_people
The dateline is around 16000 years ago.
Surviving tribes of Asuras Tribes is found in Rajasthan and Uttarakhand states of India.
They are engaged in Iron Smelting even today.
‘ The Asur Adivasis draw their lineage from the buffalo demon Mahishasur, and were portrayed as demons and enemies of gods in prominent Hindu texts. They are also credited with being the country’s first community of iron smelters. Today, they are one of India’s dwindling Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, and one of the smallest Adivasi groups in Jharhand. Asuri, their language, is on the verge of extinction, with less than 8,000 people speaking it.…
Pusa Asur, who works at the New Amtipani mine, still remembers watching his forefathers “smelt iron out of stone”.
“We made our own tools – khulaarhi, paal, pharsa, teer (axe, plough, spade, arrow) – for hunting and farming,” he said. “There are still two to three men in Ramdharia hamlet who know how to smelt stone and extract metal. Any tool you can think of, they could make.
It may be of interest to note that ancient Tamils were also adept in Smelting and knew of Iron.
Great king Chera King,Kanaikkal Cheran Irumporai
Name means ‘one who is strong as Iron and also has Patience(porai)
Will be writing on this detail.
Below is a video of world’s oldest smelting plant at Mewar, Rajasthan,India.
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