A Marvel of Medieval Indian Metallurgy : Thanjavur’s Forge-Welded Iron Cannon
By R. Balasubramaniam, A. Saxena, Tanjore R. Anantharaman, S. Reguer, and P. Dillmann

INTRODUCTION
The high status of iron and steel technology in ancient and medieval India is reflected in the manufacture and use of numerous large iron objects, including forge-welded cannons. Such cannon, found at Nurwar, Mushirabad, Dacca (in Bangladesh), Bishnupur, Bijapur, Gulbarga, and Thanjavur, exemplify the medieval Indian blacksmith’s skill in the design, engineering, and construction of large forge-welded iron objects. The wrought-iron cannons found in different parts of India were manufactured from individual iron rings that were forge- welded together. Medieval blacksmiths continued to use this technique in the fabrication of small and large iron objects, such as the Delhi and Dhar iron pillars.The forge-welded cannons have not been properly catalogued in the literature, unlike their European counterparts. The massive cannon at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu will be discussed in this article.

Based on its weight and size, the cannon at Thanjavur, earlier known as Thanjai or Tanjore, must be regarded as one of the largest forge- welded iron cannons in the world.

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