When an Indian sword became a metaphor for Prophet Muhammad

');background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center}.itg-subs-btn.jsx-5046b0bda8327da4{border:1px solid rgba(220,224,229,1);padding:12px 18px;-webkit-border-radius:8px;-moz-border-radius:8px;border-radius:8px;outline:0;cursor:pointer;font-family:var(--roboto-flex);font-weight:400;font-size:14px;line-height:1;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;background-color:transparent}.itg-subs-btn-group.jsx-5046b0bda8327da4{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-moz-box-pack:justify;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;-webkit-box-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:15px}.itg-subs-btn.fill.jsx-5046b0bda8327da4{color:#fff;border:0px;-webkit-transition:background-color.4s;-moz-transition:background-color.4s;-o-transition:background-color.4s;transition:background-color.4s}.itg-subs-close-button.jsx-5046b0bda8327da4 svg path{-webkit-transition:fill.3s;-moz-transition:fill.3s;-o-transition:fill.3s;transition:fill.3s}.itg-subs-close-button.jsx-5046b0bda8327da4:hover svg path{fill:#000}@media(max-width:553px){.itg-subs-btn.jsx-5046b0bda8327da4{-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex:0 0 100%;-moz-box-flex:0;-ms-flex:0 0 100%;flex:0 0 100%;width:100%}.itg-subs-btn-group.jsx-5046b0bda8327da4{-webkit-box-orient:vertical;-webkit-box-direction:reverse;-webkit-flex-direction:column-reverse;-moz-box-orient:vertical;-moz-box-direction:reverse;-ms-flex-direction:column-reverse;flex-direction:column-reverse}}.buzz-section{margin:30px 0}.buzz-section>*{margin-bottom:15px}.buzz-section h2{font-size:21px;font-size:1.3125rem;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center}.buzz-section h2 span{background:#c00;color:#fff;width:24px;height:24px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:top;font-size:16px;font-size:1rem;line-height:24px;text-align:center;-webkit-border-radius:100%;-moz-border-radius:100%;border-radius:100%;margin:0px 12px 0 0}.buzz-section .buzz-discription{margin-top:15px}.buzz-section .buzz-img img{width:100%}.buzz-section .image-alt:empty{border:0;padding:0}.buzz-section .image-alt{color:#929292;font-size:13px;font-size:.8125rem;padding:0 0 10px;border-bottom:1px solid#e5e5e5}.buzz-section .photoby{background:#000;color:#aeaeae;font-family:OpenSans-Regular;padding:5px;margin-top:-15px}.buzz-section .photoby:empty{background:0 0;margin-bottom:0}@media only screen and (min-width:769px){.buzz-section h2{font-size:34px;font-size:2.125rem}.buzz-section h2 span{width:32px;height:32px;font-size:24px;font-size:1.5rem;line-height:32px}}@media only screen and (min-width:769px){.buzz-section h2{line-height:42px}}.factoids-page{display:inline-block;vertical-align:top;width:100%;margin:0px 0 15px}.factoids-page .fun-facts{display:block}.factoids-page .fun-facts h2{display:inline;padding-left:0}.story-section .description h2{font-size:25px;font-family:OpenSans-Bold;line-height:34px;font-weight:700}.description .factoids-slider{margin-bottom:var(--widgetgap)}.description .factoids-slider ul{background:#a00606;padding:0;padding-left:0!important;list-style:none}.description .factoids-slider ul li{padding:20px 0;font-size:15px;line-height:24px;color:#fff;margin-bottom:0;list-style:none}.description .factoids-slider ul li:before{display:none}.description .factoids-slider ul li span{margin:0 25px;display:block}.description .factoids-slider ul li:nth-child(odd){background:#a00606}.description .factoids-slider ul li:nth-child(even){background:#000}.nquotes{width:100%;margin-bottom:var(--storyparagap)}.nquotes .quotes__container{border:1px solid var(--widgetbordercolor);background-color:#fffaea;padding:50px 10px 15px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-border-radius:10px;-moz-border-radius:10px;border-radius:10px}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__photo{margin-right:var(--magrin15);-webkit-flex-basis:80px;-ms-flex-preferred-size:80px;flex-basis:80px;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__photo:empty,.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info .quotername:empty,.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info .quoterdesignation:empty{display:none}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__photo img{-webkit-border-radius:100%;-moz-border-radius:100%;border-radius:100%;border:1px solid var(--widgetbordercolor);height:auto}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__photo .itgimage{margin-bottom:0}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__photo .itgimage:hover:after{display:none}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content{position:relative;width:100%}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quotes__text{font-size:18px;line-height:24px;color:#1a1d24;font-weight:500}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info{text-align:right;padding-top:15px}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info .quotername{font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:500;color:var(--textcolor666);font-style:italic}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info .quotername:before{content:"-";padding-right:5px}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info .quoterdesignation{font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:400;color:var(--textcolor666);font-style:italic}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content:before{content:"";display:block;background-image:url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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);width:33px;height:24px;position:absolute;top:-35px;left:0}.section__technology .quotes blockquote,.section__technology .quotes b{color:var(--theme2primarytextcolor)}@media(min-width:1025px){.nquotes{max-width:500px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.nquotes .quotes__container{padding:46px 20px 20px}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__photo{margin-right:20px}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quotes__text{font-size:24px;line-height:28px}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info{padding-top:20px}.nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content:before{top:-30px}}.section__technology .nquotes .quotes__container{background:var(--catbrandcolor)}.section__technology .nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quotes__text,.section__technology .nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info .quotername,.section__technology .nquotes .quotes__container .quotes__content .quoter__info .quoterdesignation{color:var(--theme2primarytextcolor)}.quotes{border:1px solid var(--widgetbordercolor);background:#fffaea;padding:50px 10px 15px;-webkit-border-radius:10px;-moz-border-radius:10px;border-radius:10px;width:100%;margin-bottom:var(--storyparagap)}.quotes blockquote,.quotes b{font-size:18px;line-height:24px;color:#1a1d24;font-weight:500;position:relative}.quotes blockquote:before,.quotes b:before{content:"";display:block;background-image:url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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);width:33px;height:24px;position:absolute;top:-35px;left:0}.quotes .author{font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:500;color:var(--textcolor666);font-style:italic;padding-top:15px}.quotes .author:nth-last-child(1){display:none}@media(min-width:1025px){.quotes{padding:46px 20px 20px;max-width:500px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.quotes blockquote{font-size:24px;line-height:28px}.quotes .author{padding-top:20px}.quotes blockquote:before{top:-30px}}.left-image,.pron-cons-img{display:none}#reviewcontainer,.tech-pros-cons-main{background:var(--catbrandcolor);color:var(--theme2primarytextcolor);-webkit-border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;border-radius:5px;overflow:hidden;margin-bottom:var(--storyparagap)}.techreview>h2,.tech-pros-cons-main>h2{background-color:#000;-webkit-border-radius:5px 5px 0 0;-moz-border-radius:5px 5px 0 0;border-radius:5px 5px 0 0;padding:12px 121px 12px 10px;position:relative;font-size:20px;line-height:24px}.techreview>h2 .rating,.tech-pros-cons-main>h2 strong{position:absolute;width:106px;height:62px;background:#fff108;color:#000;top:0;right:0;-webkit-border-radius:0 4px 0 15px;-moz-border-radius:0 4px 0 15px;border-radius:0 4px 0 15px;-webkit-box-shadow:0 3px 6px#00000029;-moz-box-shadow:0 3px 6px#00000029;box-shadow:0 3px 6px#00000029;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-moz-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;font-size:24px;font-weight:500}.reviewCons h2,.reviewPro h2,.tech-pros li:nth-child(1),.tech-cons li:nth-child(1){color:#fff108;font-size:24px;line-height:24px;font-style:italic;font-weight:500;margin-bottom:10px;list-style:none;text-transform:uppercase}.tech-pros li:nth-child(1)::before,.tech-cons li:nth-child(1)::before{display:none}.reviewCons,.reviewPro,.tech-pros,.tech-cons{padding:20px 0;margin:0 20px;list-style:none}.reviewPro,.tech-pros{border-bottom:1px solid#ffffff50}.reviewCons ul,.reviewPro ul{list-style:none}.reviewCons ul li,.reviewPro ul li,.tech-pros li,.tech-cons li{font-size:16px;line-height:24px;padding-left:15px;position:relative}.reviewCons ul li:not(:last-child),.reviewPro ul li:not(:last-child),.tech-pros li:not(:last-child),.tech-cons li:not(:last-child){margin-bottom:5px}.tech-pros li:not(:first-child),.tech-cons li:not(:first-child){margin-left:15px}.reviewCons ul li:before,.reviewPro ul li:before,.tech-pros li:before,.tech-cons li:before{content:"";width:5px;height:5px;background:#fff108;-webkit-border-radius:100%;-moz-border-radius:100%;border-radius:100%;display:block;position:absolute;top:10px;left:0}@media(min-width:1025px){.techreview>h2,.tech-pros-cons-main>h2{padding:12px 151px 12px 20px;font-size:24px;line-height:26px}.techreview>h2 .rating,.tech-pros-cons-main>h2 strong{font-size:30px;width:136px}.reviewCons,.reviewPro,.tech-pros,.tech-cons{width:50%;float:left;margin:20px 0;padding:0 20px}.reviewPro,.tech-pros{padding-right:40px}.reviewCons,.tech-cons{padding-left:40px}.reviewPro,.tech-pros{border-right:1px solid#ffffff50;border-bottom:0}}.productreview__widget{background:var(--catbrandcolor);color:var(--theme2primarytextcolor);-webkit-border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;border-radius:5px}.productreview__widget .review__head{background-color:#000;-webkit-border-radius:5px 5px 0 0;-moz-border-radius:5px 5px 0 0;border-radius:5px 5px 0 0;padding:12px 10px;position:relative}.productreview__widget .review__head h2{font-size:20px;line-height:24px}.productreview__widget .review__head .prod__rating{position:absolute;width:106px;height:62px;background:#fff108;color:#000;top:0;right:0;-webkit-border-radius:0 4px 0 15px;-moz-border-radius:0 4px 0 15px;border-radius:0 4px 0 15px;-webkit-box-shadow:0px 3px 6px#00000029;-moz-box-shadow:0px 3px 6px#00000029;box-shadow:0px 3px 6px#00000029;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-moz-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;font-size:24px;font-weight:500}.productreview__widget .review__content{padding:0;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;-webkit-box-direction:normal;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-moz-box-orient:vertical;-moz-box-direction:normal;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column}.productreview__widget .review__content h4{color:#fff108;font-size:24px;line-height:24px;font-style:italic;font-weight:500;margin-bottom:10px}.productreview__widget .review__content .review__points{-webkit-flex-basis:100%;-ms-flex-preferred-size:100%;flex-basis:100%;padding:20px;position:relative}.productreview__widget .review__content .review__points:nth-child(1)::after{content:"";width:90%;height:1px;background:#ffffff50;position:absolute;bottom:0px;display:block}.productreview__widget .review__content ul{list-style:none}.productreview__widget .review__content ul li{font-size:16px;line-height:24px;padding-left:15px;position:relative}.productreview__widget .review__content ul li:not(:last-child){margin-bottom:5px}.productreview__widget .review__content ul li:before{content:"";width:5px;height:5px;background:#fff108;-webkit-border-radius:100%;-moz-border-radius:100%;border-radius:100%;display:block;position:absolute;top:10px;left:0}@media(min-width:1025px){.productreview__widget .review__head{padding:12px 20px}.productreview__widget .review__head h2{font-size:24px;line-height:24px}.productreview__widget .review__head .prod__rating{font-size:30px;width:136px}.productreview__widget .review__content{-webkit-box-orient:horizontal;-webkit-box-direction:normal;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-moz-box-orient:horizontal;-moz-box-direction:normal;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;padding:20px 0}.productreview__widget .review__content .review__points{-webkit-flex-basis:50%;-ms-flex-preferred-size:50%;flex-basis:50%;padding:0 20px}.productreview__widget .review__content .review__points:nth-child(1){border-right:1px solid#ffffff50;padding-right:40px}.productreview__widget .review__content .review__points:nth-child(1)::after{display:none}.productreview__widget .review__content .review__points:nth-child(2){padding-left:40px}}.poductphotoby__widget{background:var(--catbrandcolor);padding:15px 10px;-webkit-border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;border-radius:5px}.poductphotoby__widget .photoby__title:empty{display:none}.poductphotoby__widget .photoby__title{font-size:16px;font-weight:500;color:#fff;padding-bottom:10px}.poductphotoby__widget .photo__list ul{list-style:none;display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(135px,1fr));grid-gap:10px}.poductphotoby__widget .photo__list ul li:nth-of-type(n+7){display:none}.poductphotoby__widget .photo__list ul li .itgimage:hover:after{display:none}.poductphotoby__widget .photo__list ul li .itgimage{margin-bottom:0}.poductphotoby__widget .photo__list ul li img{min-width:auto;border:1px solid#707070;-webkit-border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;border-radius:5px;width:100%}@media(min-width:1025px){.poductphotoby__widget{padding:15px 20px 20px}.poductphotoby__widget .photo__list ul{grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(172px,1fr))}}.tech-photos{margin-bottom:var(--storyparagap)}.tech-photos .tech-photos-head-section{display:block}.tech-photos .tech-photos-head-section .tech-photo-head{font-size:20px;line-height:26px;margin-bottom:10px;font-weight:600}.tech-photos .tech-photos-head-section span{color:#b5b5b5;font-size:14px;margin-bottom:10px;display:block}.tech-photos .tech-photos-head-section span:after{content:"Photo";padding-left:3px}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item{width:23%;display:inline-block;margin-right:2%;position:relative;-webkit-box-shadow:-2px 2px 4px 0#ddd;-moz-box-shadow:-2px 2px 4px 0#ddd;box-shadow:-2px 2px 4px 0#ddd;border:1px solid#ddd;padding:.5%}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .tech-photo-overlay{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:rgba(0,0,0,.5);width:100%;height:100%}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .tech-photo-overlay a span{position:absolute;top:50%;left:50%;-webkit-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-moz-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-ms-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-o-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);transform:translate(-50%,-50%);line-height:22px}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .tech-photo-overlay a,.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .tech-photo-overlay a span:hover{color:#fff;text-decoration:underline}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item:nth-last-child(1){margin-right:0px}@media screen and (max-width:768px){.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .tech-photo-overlay a span{line-height:18px;font-size:15px}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item{width:48%;margin-bottom:2%;margin-right:2%}}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .itgimage{margin-bottom:0px}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .itgimage img{-webkit-border-radius:0;-moz-border-radius:0;border-radius:0}.tech-photos .tech-photo-item .itgimage:hover:after{display:none}.react-images__dialog{position:relative}.image-gallery-fullscreen-button,.image-gallery-play-button{display:none}.photomodel__close{border:unset;background:unset;color:#fff;font-size:30px;position:fixed;right:5px;top:5px;cursor:pointer}.image-gallery-content .image-gallery-slide .image-gallery-image{border:3px solid#ccc;-webkit-border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;border-radius:3px}@media(min-width:1024px){.react-images__dialog{position:static}.photomodel__close{right:50px;top:25px}}.fullscreen .react-images__blanket.css-16jr3vd,.fullscreen .react-images__blanket{background-color:rgba(0,0,0,.95)}.image-gallery-content .image-gallery-slide .image-gallery-image{border:0px}.image-gallery-left-nav .image-gallery-svg,.image-gallery-right-nav .image-gallery-svg{height:25px;width:25px;stroke:#333;stroke-width:2.4}.image-gallery-left-nav,.image-gallery-right-nav{padding:0px;width:35px;height:35px;background:#d5d5d5;-webkit-border-radius:100%;-moz-border-radius:100%;border-radius:100%}.image-gallery-thumbnail .image-gallery-thumbnail-inner{cursor:pointer}.image-gallery-left-nav{left:-10%}.image-gallery-right-nav{right:-10%}.image-gallery-thumbnail{-webkit-border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;border-radius:3px}.image-gallery-thumbnail .image-gallery-thumbnail-image{-webkit-border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;border-radius:3px}.image-gallery-thumbnail.active,.image-gallery-thumbnail:focus{border:2px solid#b4b4b4;-webkit-border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;border-radius:5px}.image-gallery-bullets{bottom:-40px}.image-gallery-bullets .image-gallery-bullet{padding:3px;background:#4d4d4d;border:0px}.image-gallery-bullets .image-gallery-bullet.active{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-moz-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);-o-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);border:0px}@media(hover:hover)and (pointer:fine){.image-gallery-thumbnail:hover{outline:none;border:2px solid#b4b4b4;-webkit-border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;border-radius:5px}.image-gallery-bullets .image-gallery-bullet:hover{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-moz-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);-o-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);border:0px;background:#fff}}.story__recommended__chunk .recommended__story a{-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-moz-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start}.mainfooter{-webkit-box-shadow:1px -5px 3px#0000000d;-moz-box-shadow:1px -5px 3px#0000000d;box-shadow:1px -5px 3px#0000000d;border:1px solid#e2e2e2;margin-top:5px;padding-top:15px;background-color:var(--whitebg);padding-right:10px;padding-left:10px;padding-bottom:65px}.mainfooter .footer_header{padding-bottom:10px;border-bottom:5px solid#f2f2f2;margin-bottom:10px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow{display:-ms-grid;display:grid;-ms-grid-columns:1fr;grid-template-columns:1fr;-webkit-column-gap:15px;-moz-column-gap:15px;column-gap:15px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer{display:-ms-grid;display:grid;-ms-grid-columns:1fr 10px 1fr;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;-webkit-column-gap:10px;-moz-column-gap:10px;column-gap:10px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.first .list:nth-child(1){-ms-grid-column:1;-ms-grid-column-span:2;grid-column:1/3}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.second .list:nth-child(1),.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.second .list:nth-child(6),.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.second .list:nth-child(7){-ms-grid-column:1;-ms-grid-column-span:2;grid-column:1/3}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.third .list:nth-child(1),.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.third .list:nth-child(2){-ms-grid-column:1;-ms-grid-column-span:2;grid-column:1/3}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer .list{border-bottom:1px solid#e2e2e2;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:10px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.third .list:last-child{border-bottom:0px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer .list ul{display:-ms-grid;display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(144px,1fr));grid-gap:0 10px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer h3{font-size:16px;line-height:28px;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--primarytextcolor);font-weight:400;position:relative;margin-bottom:5px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer h3:after{content:"";position:absolute;width:20px;height:2px;background-color:var(--brandbgcolor);bottom:0;left:0}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer ul{list-style:none}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer ul li a{font-size:14px;line-height:30px;color:#747474}.bootom__footernav,.copyright{background-color:#f2f2f2;margin:0 -10px;padding:0 10px}.bootom__footernav ul{list-style:none;display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-box-pack:space-evenly;-ms-flex-pack:space-evenly;-webkit-justify-content:space-evenly;-moz-box-pack:space-evenly;justify-content:space-evenly;padding-top:10px}.bootom__footernav ul li a{font-size:14px;font-weight:400;padding:0 10px 10px 0px;display:block}.copyright{text-align:center;font-size:14px;color:#6e6e6e;padding:15px 5px;border-top:2px solid#e3e3e3;line-height:1.3}.footer__socialshare{display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;align-items:center;margin-top:15px}.footer__socialshare>*{margin-right:15px}.footer__socialshare .sharetitle{min-height:30px;line-height:30px;white-space:nowrap}.footer__socialshare a{display:block;width:30px;height:30px;-webkit-flex-basis:30px;-ms-flex-preferred-size:30px;flex-basis:30px;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0}.expendfooter__nav{width:40px;height:30px;display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:end;-ms-flex-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-moz-box-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;margin-left:10px;cursor:pointer;-webkit-box-flex:1;-webkit-flex:1 0 0;-moz-box-flex:1;-ms-flex:1 0 0px;flex:1 0 0}.mainfooter .expendfooter__nav svg{-webkit-transform:rotate(180deg);-ms-transform:rotate(180deg);-moz-transform:rotate(180deg);-o-transform:rotate(180deg);transform:rotate(180deg)}.mainfooter.is__expend .expendfooter__nav svg{-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);-moz-transform:rotate(0deg);-o-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg)}.mainfooter.is__expend .footer_header{border-bottom:0;margin-bottom:0px}.mainfooter.is__expend .footer__ad,.mainfooter.is__expend .navfooter{opacity:0;height:0px;display:none}.mainfooter .footer__ad{margin-left:-10px;margin-right:-10px}@media(min-width:1025px){.mainfooter{padding-right:0;padding-left:0;padding-bottom:0px}.mainfooter .footer_header{display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-ms-flex-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-moz-box-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;align-items:center}.footer__socialshare{margin-top:0}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow{-ms-grid-columns:1fr 15px 1fr 15px 1fr;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr 1fr;-webkit-column-gap:15px;-moz-column-gap:15px;column-gap:15px}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer .list:nth-last-child(1),.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.first .list:nth-last-child(2),.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer.second .list:nth-last-child(2){border-bottom:0;margin-bottom:0}.mainfooter .navfooter .navrow .listcontainer .list:last-child{border-bottom:0px}.bootom__footernav ul{padding-top:15px}.bootom__footernav ul li a{padding-bottom:15px}.bootom__footernav,.copyright{margin:0}.mainfooter .footer__ad{margin-left:0;margin-right:0}}.downloadapp__section .temp__container{border-top:2px solid#f2f2f2;padding:10px 0 10px}.downloadapp__section .temp__container .h4{text-align:center;font-weight:normal;color:#707070;padding-bottom:10px;font-size:12px;text-transform:uppercase}.storelist{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-moz-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap}.storelist a{margin-bottom:10px}.storelist a:not(:last-child){margin-right:10px}.downloadapp__section .storelist img{height:40px}@media(max-width:340px){.footer__socialshare>*{margin-right:10px}}.rec-sl-inner_latest p>a{color:#fff!important;text-decoration:none!important}.story__content__body .description>ul>li a{color:var(--linkcolor);text-decoration:underline}.section__hottest .lhs__section p{padding:10px 0}.pagenode__2359050 .main__content{padding:0 10px}.SubscribeBtn_link__sub__pkr7P .SubscribeBtn_navitem__f0Lj5 svg{width:22px}#main.b{font-weight:normal}@media(min-width:1025px){.PhoneWidgetCarousel_phCarousel__widget__ngBME .PhoneWidgetCarousel_carousel__nav__L141I .PhoneWidgetCarousel_navbutn__k5htF{left:auto;right:auto}.PhoneWidgetCarousel_phCarousel__widget__ngBME .PhoneWidgetCarousel_carousel__nav__L141I{right:0px}}.menulink{width:-webkit-calc(100% - 12px);width:-moz-calc(100% - 12px);width:calc(100% - 12px)}.navigation .nav__container .main__nav ul li a[title="TV"]{text-transform:uppercase}.pointer-para #checktheseout3{display:none}.footer_info{margin-bottom:11px;border-bottom:1px solid#e2e2e2;padding-bottom:15px}.headingicon{font-size:15px;font-weight:600;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--primarytextcolor);padding-left:17px;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='12' height='11' viewBox='0 0 12 11'%3E%3Cpath fill='%23e3001b' d='M344.974,430.608a16.732,16.732,0,0,1,10.71-2.439.261.261,0,0,1,.233.26c.115,4.944-2.28,8.018-5,10.481-.094.075-.262.224-.43.035l-6.516-7.4a.213.213,0,0,1,.047-.318c.113-.093.956-.617.956-.616' transform='translate(-343.921 -428.037)'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:0;margin-bottom:15px;min-height:25px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-align:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-moz-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center}.footer_info .headingicon{font-size:20px;line-height:16px;text-transform:none}.footer_info p{font-size:15px;line-height:24px;color:#000}@media(max-width:1024px){.temp__container.footer_info{padding-bottom:15px}.footer_info p{line-height:28px}} India TodayAaj TakIndia Today HindiNewsTakGNTTVLallantopBusiness TodayBanglaMalayalamNortheastBT BazaarHarper's BazaarSports TakAstro TakGamingBrides TodayCosmopolitanKisan TakReader’s DigestIndia TodayAaj TakIndia Today HindiNewsTakGNTTVLallantopBusiness TodayBanglaMalayalamNortheastMagazineLive TVSearchSEARCHSIGN INEdition ININUSHome TVLive TVPrimetimeMagazineLatest EditionInsightBest CollegesIndia Today HindiJobsIndiaBusinessAll Business NewsShare MarketIPOPersonal FinanceCompaniesLife+StylePuzzlesSouthGlobal SportsAll SportsCricketLive ScoreFootballTechnologyShowbuzzEntertainmentMoviesBollywoodHollywoodTelevisionOTTLatest ReviewsMo SpecialsPodcastsSunday SpecialHistory of ItDIUOpinionVideosShort VideosFact CheckInfluencer Hub Other NewsEducationIt's ViralScienceHealthAutoLaw TodayEnvironmentCitiesWeatherHoroscopesDownload AppFollow Us On: .adarrow__button{display:none} @media (max-width: 767px) { .containermulti { position: relative; margin:5px auto; width: 302px; height: 280px; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #ccc; } .mySlides { display: none; } .ad-slot { width: 300px; height: 250px; margin: auto; } .prev, .next { cursor: pointer; position: absolute; top: 50%; padding: 10px; color: #fff; font-size: 18px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); user-select: none; transform: translateY(-50%); } .prev { left: 0; } .next { right: 0; } .prev:hover, .next:hover { background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); }.pagination { position: absolute; bottom: 5px; width: 100%; text-align: center; } .dot { cursor: pointer; height: 8px; width: 8px; margin: 0 4px; background-color: #bbb; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-block; transition: background-color 0.3s ease; } .dot.active { background-color: #000; } .adarrow__button{display:block} }.read-more-content:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)) .readmoreAction ~ *:not(.new_ad_code) { display: none !important; }.description:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)){overflow:hidden;}.description:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)) .new_ad_code{ z-index: -10; position: relative; min-height:0; height:0px;}.description:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)) .new_ad_code:has(.vdo_floating){ z-index: inherit;}.description:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)) ~ .shrcommnt,.description:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)) ~ .factcheck__widget,.description:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)) ~ .strtags{ display:none;}.readmoreAction.appendReadmoreContent{ display:none;} .description:not(:has(.appendReadmoreContent)) .story-text-overlay{position: absolute; height: 160px; bottom: 0; top: auto; background: linear-gradient( to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) 0%, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8) 50%, rgba(255, 255, 255, 1) 90% ); pointer-events: none; z-index: 2;}.story__content__body.story__content__body .description .readmorewrap + p{ display:block; max-height:175px; overflow:hidden} .description:has(.appendReadmoreContent) .story-text-overlay{display:none;}.readmoreAction { position: relative; margin: 0 auto 0 auto; display: flex; align-items:center;column-gap:10px; background:#cd2027; color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #cd2027; bottom: 1rem; font-size: 16px; font-weight:500; border-radius: 10px; font-family: inherit; position: relative; padding:15px 20px; margin-top: 30px;cursor: pointer; }.readmoreAction svg{position: relative;top: 2px;} .newsltter-iframe-new { height: 268px; } @media (max-width: 767px) { .newsltter-iframe-new { height: 330px; } } .us_1bigImg_3line{border: 1px solid #E2E2E2; margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; border-radius: 10px; padding: 15px 20px 34px 20px; box-shadow:0px 3px 6px #00000029 } .us_1bigImg_3line_heading{margin-bottom: 10px; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; min-height: 25px; } .us_1bigImg_3line_heading h2 {font-size: 15px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1; text-transform: uppercase; padding-left: 17px; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='12' height='11' viewBox='0 0 12 11'%3E%3Cpath fill='%23e3001b' d='M344.974,430.608a16.732,16.732,0,0,1,10.71-2.439.261.261,0,0,1,.233.26c.115,4.944-2.28,8.018-5,10.481-.094.075-.262.224-.43.035l-6.516-7.4a.213.213,0,0,1,.047-.318c.113-.093.956-.617.956-.616' transform='translate(-343.921 -428.037)'/%3E%3C/svg%3E"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 0; } .us_1bigImg_3line_body{display: -webkit-box; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; margin: 0 0; column-gap: 18px;} .us_1bigImg_3line_ls{width: 100%; min-height: 1px; padding: 0; -webkit-box-flex: 0; -ms-flex: 0 0 320px; flex: 0 0 320px; max-width: 320px;} .us_1bigImg{width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 5px; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 10px;} .us_1bigImg img{width: 100%; height: auto; display: block;} .us_1bigImg_3line_ls h2{ font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px; font-weight: 500; position: relative;} .us_1bigImg_3line_ls h2::after {content: '>'; position: absolute; bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; } .us_1bigImg_3line_ls h2 a {text-decoration: none; } .us_1bigImg_3line_rs{width: 100%; min-height: 1px; padding: 0; -webkit-box-flex: 0; -ms-flex: 0 0 calc(100% - 338px); flex: 0 0 calc(100% - 338px); max-width: calc(100% - 338px);} .us_1bigImg_3line_rs ul{ margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;} .us_1bigImg_3line_rs ul li{width: 100%; height: auto; padding-bottom: 13px; margin-bottom: 13px; border-bottom: 1px dotted #C4C4C4; position: relative; padding-right: 15px;} .us_1bigImg_3line_rs ul li a::after {content: '>'; position: absolute; padding-left: 10px; top: 33%; right: -10px; transform: translate(-50%, -50%);} .us_1bigImg_3line_rs ul li:nth-last-child(1){border-bottom:0px;padding-bottom:0px;} .us_1bigImg_3line_rs ul li a{font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;} @media (max-width: 767px){.container {width: 100%;} .us_1bigImg_3line {padding: 15px 10px 10px 10px;} .us_1bigImg {display: none;} .us_1bigImg_3line_rs ul li a {font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;} .us_1bigImg_3line_ls h2 {font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; padding-right: 15px; font-weight: normal; } .us_1bigImg_3line_body {column-gap: 0px; } .us_1bigImg_3line_ls {-ms-flex: 0 0 100%; flex: 0 0 100%; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 13px; margin-bottom: 13px; border-bottom: 1px dotted #C4C4C4; } .us_1bigImg_3line_rs {-ms-flex: 0 0 100%; flex: 0 0 100%; max-width: 100%; } .us_1bigImg_3line_ls h2::after {right: 0px; top: 50%; right: -10px; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); font-size: 16px;}}NewsHistory Of ItWhen an Indian sword became a metaphor for Prophet MuhammadWhen an Indian sword became a metaphor for Prophet Muhammad Centuries before critical minerals became the language of power, Indian craftsmen mastered a material that kings, merchants and warriors thousands of kilometres away sought. Indian steel travelled across ancient trade routes into Arabia and also its poetry. This is why an Arabian poet invoked the famed Indian sword as a metaphor to praise Prophet Muhammad.Advertisement.pagenode__2684512 #comment_box{display:none}.section__education .description.paywall .elec_stripe_iFrame {display: none;}.dark-mode .livetv__sticky svg path{stroke: #fff;} .dark-mode .livetv__sticky svg text{fill:#fff}.tbl-read-more-box {z-index:991 !important}.airtel_5g{width:0px !important;height:0px !important;}table .shopping__widget {display:none}table .inline_ad2 {display: none;}.trinity__container{display: none;} .autiostory a{display: none !important}.description table{max-width:100%;border: 0;margin-bottom: var(--widgetgap);} table tr td #teads-ad{display:none}table tr td .ads__container{display:none}ul>li div#shoppingWidgetLSH{display:none}ul>li div#shoppingWidget_mobile{display:none}.Story_story__content__body__qCd5E .Story_description__fq_4S>ul>li:has(.inline-story-add) div { display: none; }.pagetype__story ul li #checktheseout2{display: none}.newspress_rhs_widget .mframe { background: url(https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/sites/misc/img/iphone-frame.png); }.ads_container .top_ad>* * { text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; }.ite_mg_banner:nth-of-type(2) { display: none; } .pagenode__2672529 .inline_ad2{display:none}India’s famed wootz steel travelled to Arabia, where its blades became celebrated as Damascus steel. (Image: AI-generated/ India Today)Aabhas MaldahiyarBengaluru,UPDATED: Aug 21, 2026 07:00 IST .ai_assist_bar2 { top:30px } "Inna'r Rasula lasaifun yustadaau bihi, Muhannadun min Suyufillahi maslulu." These words, according to Islamic tradition, belong to 7th century Arabian poet Ka'b bin Zuhair in his celebrated Bnat Su'd, a 58-verse Lmiyyah composed after his conversion to Islam. It meant, "Indeed, the Messenger is a sword by which illumination is sought, an Indian sword, drawn forth from the swords of God." Zuhair compared Prophet Muhammad to Muhannad — an Indian sword. Tradition holds that, moved by the poem, the Prophet placed his cloak over Zuhair's shoulders. One may wonder: why, among the many images available to a poet praising the Prophet, invoke an Indian sword? And what did "Indian" signify when it became a mark of a blade of exceptional quality? The question is not merely literary. It opens a much larger story about technology, trade and power. Perhaps the clue lies in something PM Narendra Modi said from the Red Fort this Independence Day. He asked India to think about something that rarely stirs the imagination: critical minerals. Beneath that dry vocabulary lies one of the oldest truths of power: nations that control the materials needed to build the future possess an extraordinary strategic advantage. Listening to Modi, history enthusiasts cannot help but wonder: has India lived this story before? The answer lies not in some distant technological future, but in a forgotten chapter of India's own past — when mastery over a critical material could shape the fortunes of civilisations. Now return to those opening verses. Beneath the poetic imagery of Ka'b bin Zuhair lies a striking historical clue: long before critical minerals became the language of modern geopolitics, iron was already a strategic resource. The civilisation that could wrest iron from the earth, command the furnace and turn metal into steel possessed far more than a material. It possessed technology, and technology has always been a currency of power. Bharat understood this thousands of years ago. The story of Indian steel does not begin in Jamshedpur or with 20th-century industry. It begins beside clay furnaces, tended by craftsmen whose names are lost to history, even as their knowledge travelled far beyond India's shores. Archaeological sites across the Middle Ganga Valley, including Malhar, Dadupur and Raja Nala-ka-tila, reveal an early tradition of ironworking. Some evidence has been dated to the second millennium BCE, though the chronology remains debated. By the first millennium BCE, iron was everywhere: knives, arrowheads, axes, chisels, tongs, agricultural implements and weapons. Iron was no longer a curiosity. It was transforming everyday life. But making iron was one achievement. Making exceptional steel was another. Indian craftsmen learnt to control ore, charcoal, heat and air with remarkable precision. A small error could mean a blade that shattered; mastery produced one worth carrying across continents. Then, in southern India, metallurgy took an extraordinary leap.THE STEEL CALLED WOOTZ The men who made it did not call it wootz. In southern India, it was simply ukku — steel. Arab merchants knew it as Hinduwani; Persian writers called it pulad (faulad). The word wootz came much later, probably from a British rendering of ukku, entering scientific vocabulary in the 18th century after George Pearson of the Royal Society examined Indian samples sent by Scottish doctor-author Helenus Scott. By then, Indian steel had already travelled across Asia for centuries. Wootz was crucible steel: iron and carbon-rich material were sealed inside a crucible and heated until carbon entered the metal, producing a high-carbon steel unlike ordinary wrought iron. Its exact beginnings remain debated. But India undoubtedly became a major centre of crucible-steel production, particularly in the peninsula, centuries before the Common Era. The smiths knew nothing of carbon percentages, cementite or metallography. They had no instruments to measure furnace temperatures. Yet generations of observation had taught them what no textbook could: which ore, how much charcoal, what heat and when to strike. Modern metallography later revealed the secret behind wootz's famed patterns: networks of cementite within the steel. Production flourished across peninsular India. The area that is now Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu became important centres. At Konasamudram (now in Telangana), archaeologists found 60 crucible-steel ingots; a reminder that this was no isolated village craft, but an industry.THE INDIAN STYLE THAT TRAVELLED ABROAD This Indian metal was already moving through the great commercial arteries of the ancient world, travelling with merchants, envoys and armies. Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, in Historiae Alexandri Magni, Book IX, 8.1, records Indian envoys bringing Alexander 100 talents of "bright iron" — ferri candidi — along with Indian shields, chariots, cavalry and exotic animals. Whatever the precise nature of this metal, the scale of the gift is striking. Indian iron was not a curiosity to be admired and forgotten. It was valuable enough to be carried into a royal diplomatic exchange. Then comes Roman author-naturalist Pliny the Elder. In Natural History, Book XXXIV, he writes, "But of all the different kinds of iron, the palm of excellence is awarded to that which is made by the Seres, who send it to us with their tissues and skins; next to which is the Parthian iron." The identity of the Seres is connected with the Chera of southern India. More explicit is the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a first-century CE account of Indian Ocean commerce, which records Indian steel among the goods moving through the trade linking India with the Red Sea and West Asia. Indian steel would leave its homeland as metal and travel thousands of kilometres before becoming a weapon in a distant kingdom. Eventually, Indian crucible steel — wootz — became closely associated with the legendary blades known in the West as Damascus steel. The terms, however, should not be confused: pattern-welding was a different technology, and not every Damascus blade was made from Indian steel. Yet the larger truth survives the technical distinctions: India did not have to forge every famous Damascus blade for Indian steel to shape their legend. It only had to produce a metal worth carrying across continents.advertisementTHE SWORD THAT CARRIED INDIA'S REPUTATIONThere was a time when the quality of a sword could tell you where the finest steel was being made. Indian steel had earned precisely that reputation. Long before modern branding, "Indian" itself could serve as a mark of quality. The pre-Islamic Arabian poet Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma wrote of the Saif Hindi, the Indian sword, "The Hindi sword will not let you down, even if fighting an armed battalion." Tarafa ibn al-Abd, one of the seven poets of the Mu'allaqat, likewise invoked the Muhannad, the Indian sword. "A wound inflicted by someone close to us is way deeper and hurtful than one sustained through Muhannad [Indian sword]," he said. These fragments of an older literary memory clearly tell us that Hind (India) had already become associated with the finest weapons. Ibn Hisham records another intriguing tradition. When the Jurhum fled Mecca after their defeat by Khuza'a, they are said to have buried treasures in the Zamzam well. When Abd al-Muttalib later rediscovered it, the objects recovered reportedly included swords and armour, among them Qala'i swords; a term associated with Indian swords. Later tradition even connected Jabal Hindi in Mecca with Indian swords. Whether every detail of these traditions can be independently established is another matter. What matters is the persistence of the association: Hind and the superior sword had become intertwined in the Arabic imagination. Then return to the opening verse of this story, and have a relook at what those metaphors reveal. The Indian sword (steel) carried an idea of sharpness, strength and reliability. Indian steel had travelled far enough to enter the language of poetry, warfare and prestige. Centuries later, the 12th-century geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi offered an even more explicit testimony in his Nuzhat al-Mushtaq. Describing Indian iron and sword-making, he praised the skill of Indian craftsmen in smelting and treating iron. "There are no sharper and better-slashing iron than that of India, and there is no doubt about it," Muhammad al-Idrisi wrote. By then, Indian steel had earned something more enduring than a reputation: a place in the technological memory of the world.THE PILLAR THAT SURVIVED THE EMPIRES India's metallurgical story was not confined to weapons. In Delhi stands an iron pillar more than 1,600 years old. It has survived monsoon, heat, dust and centuries of exposure with remarkably little corrosion above ground. The pillar is made of forge-welded wrought iron, and scientists have studied its unusual resistance for decades. Its composition and the formation of a protective phosphate-rich corrosion layer are important parts of the explanation. It would be wrong to call it "rust-proof". It is not. Its buried portion has suffered corrosion. But that qualification only makes the surviving achievement more impressive. The pillar tells us something a written boast never could. Indian ironworkers of the Gupta age had mastered the production, forging and joining of enormous quantities of iron with a degree of control that continues to interest modern corrosion scientists. The empire that erected it disappeared, but the pillar has remained.EUROPE DISCOVERS INDIAN STEEL Centuries later, Indian steelmakers encountered a radically changing world. European travellers began recording steel production in southern India. By the late eighteenth century, European scientists were examining Indian wootz, fascinated by a high-carbon steel whose properties seemed almost impossible to reproduce. Samples travelled to Britain, where metallurgists and circles associated with the Royal Society examined them. For Europe, entering the age of modern science, Indian steel posed a tantalising question: How did Indian craftsmen achieve this? The irony is hard to miss. European scientists were beginning to explain through chemistry and microscopy what Indian craftsmen had perfected through generations of observation, experiment and inherited knowledge. Their furnaces were modest. Their understanding was not. The Industrial Revolution would eventually transform steel making to a scale the old crucible furnaces could never match. Yet Indian steel had already travelled much farther than the furnaces that produced it. It moved along ancient trade routes, entered Arab poetry, found a place in Persian vocabulary, shaped West Asian sword-making and ultimately reached European laboratories. And suddenly, PM Modi's words from the Red Fort acquire a different resonance. He was speaking about the future, not history. Yet the future he described carries an unmistakably old Indian echo. Critical minerals. Secure supply chains. Control over the materials that will power the next age. The names have changed. The contest has not. Yesterday, it was iron. Today, it is lithium, cobalt and rare earths. Tomorrow, it will be whatever material becomes indispensable to the technology of its age. India once understood this instinctively. Its craftsmen took something buried beneath the earth and transformed it into a material sought by kings, merchants and warriors thousands of kilometres away. Indian steel did not conquer the world with armies. It travelled because the world wanted it. A mineral buried in the ground is only a resource. Knowledge turns it into technology. Technology turns it into an advantage. And an advantage, at scale, becomes power. The ancient Indian smith understood the first part of that equation long before modern science gave it a name. He took ore, mastered fire and made steel. Then he sent something forged in an Indian furnace across the world. The world once came looking for Indian steel. Modi's call from the Red Fort is, in many ways, a call to ensure that when the world comes looking for the critical materials and technologies of the next century, India is ready to forge what the future cannot do without. (Aabhas Maldahiyar is the author of Babur: The Quest for Hindustan.)- EndsPublished By: Sushim MukulPublished On: Aug 21, 2026 07:00 IST Also WatchIs Sergio Gor's Ladakh visit Washington's message to China on India ties?Vande Mataram row: Experts weigh in on Congress, BJP's competing narrativesDo Gen Z voters hold key to 2027 UP polls? Panel discusses shifting election trendsAdvertisement.ad_300_100 .adtext{display:none;}Read ThisWhen an Indian sword became a metaphor for Prophet MuhammadPakistan immediate threat, China long-term competitor: Ex-Army chief NaravaneBatwara 1947 box office Day 7: Sunny Deol's Partition drama faces Rs 50 crore testAdvertisement window.addEventListener("message", function (event) { if (event.data?.type === "sharelink" && event.data.shareurl) { console.log("Received sharing links and details", event.data.shareurl); window.open(event.data.shareurl, "_blank"); } }); if (itViewPort === 'mobile') { window.googletag = window.googletag || { cmd: [] }; /* ----------------------------- PAGE LOAD AD (ONLY ONCE) ------------------------------ */ googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.defineSlot( '/1007232/IT_ROS_Mobile_MTF_1_300x250', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1' ).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); /* ----------------------------- LAZY SLIDE ADS (DEFINE ONCE) ------------------------------ */ const lazyDefinedSlots = {}; const gptSlots = {}; function defineLazySlideAds(divId) { if (lazyDefinedSlots[divId]) return; lazyDefinedSlots[divId] = true; console.log('Defining slot:', divId); googletag.cmd.push(function () { if (divId === 'div-gpt-ad-2') { gptSlots[divId] = googletag.defineSlot( '/1007232/IT_ROS_Mobile_MTF_1_300x250_Carousal-1', [300, 250], divId ).addService(googletag.pubads()); } if (divId === 'div-gpt-ad-3') { gptSlots[divId] = googletag.defineSlot( '/1007232/IT_ROS_Mobile_MTF_1_300x250_Carousal-2', [300, 250], divId ).addService(googletag.pubads()); } if (gptSlots[divId]) { googletag.display(divId); googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlots[divId]]); console.log("GPT refreshed:", divId); } }); } /* ----------------------------- SLIDER LOGIC ------------------------------ */ let slideIndex = 1; let autoInterval = null; document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () { showSlides(slideIndex); startAutoSlide(); }); function plusSlides(n) { showSlides(slideIndex += n); } function showSlides(n) { const slides = document.getElementsByClassName("mySlides"); const dots = document.getElementsByClassName("dot"); if (!slides.length) return; if (n > slides.length) slideIndex = 1; if (n < 1) slideIndex = slides.length; for (let i = 0; i < slides.length; i++) { slides[i].style.display = "none"; } for (let i = 0; i < dots.length; i++) { dots[i].classList.remove("active"); } const activeSlide = slides[slideIndex - 1]; activeSlide.style.display = "block"; dots[slideIndex - 1].classList.add("active"); // wait for layout paint setTimeout(() => { const adDiv = activeSlide.querySelector("div[id^='div-gpt']"); if (adDiv) observeAd(adDiv); }, 200); } function currentSlide(n) { showSlides(slideIndex = n); } function startAutoSlide() { autoInterval = setInterval(() => { plusSlides(1); }, 5000); } /* ----------------------------- INTERSECTION OBSERVER ------------------------------ */ const observer = new IntersectionObserver(entries => { entries.forEach(entry => { if (!entry.isIntersecting) return; const adDiv = entry.target; const rect = adDiv.getBoundingClientRect(); // prevent zero-size request if (rect.width === 0 || rect.height === 0) return; if (!adDiv.dataset.loaded) { adDiv.dataset.loaded = "true"; console.log(adDiv.id,'adDiv'); defineLazySlideAds(adDiv.id); /* googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display(adDiv.id); console.log("GPT request fired:", adDiv.id); });*/ } observer.unobserve(adDiv); }); }, { threshold: 0.6 }); function observeAd(adDiv) { if (!adDiv.dataset.loaded) { observer.observe(adDiv); } } } .pagenode__2851824 .row,.pagenode__2851835 .row{ margin:0 10px} @media (max-width: 1024px) { .wc_container .main_banner_wrapper .banner_pText { position: relative; text-indent: 0px; } } .wc_container .main_banner_wrapper table tr th:first-child { padding-left: 0px; } @media (max-width:1024px){ .temp__container { padding: 0px; } } .subscribe__btn{cursor: pointer;} .section__technology .SecondaryNavigation_section__secondary__nav__DR7Ua{ background-image: var(--catbrandcolor, #c00);} .pagetype__elections .lhs__section .custom__htmlwidget.ads__container + .custom__htmlwidget.ads__container{ display: none} .description-wrapper ul { list-style: none; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 30px; } .description-wrapper ul li { font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; color: #fff; margin-bottom: 10px; position: relative; } .description-wrapper ul li::before { content: ''; position: absolute; top: 8px; left: -20px; width: 8px; height: 8px; border-radius: 50%; background-color: #fff; } .capsulelink .FeatureQuickLink_swiper__wrap__6gy6f{width:100% !important} body.searchopen .stickyad {z-index: 9;} .NewsList_newssection__mTDE8 .NewsList_newslist__1Bh2x.NewsList_us__headlinelist__lYl07 ul li a .NewsList_imgcont__rBfoB img{width: 100%;} .taboola__container:has(#taboola-right-rail-thumbnails:empty) h3{display:none} .taboola__container:has(#taboola-right-rail-thumbnails:empty){min-height:0px ;} .ground_zero .story_widget .big_storycard img { object-fit: contain !important; } @media (max-width:1024px){ .LiveBlog_liveblog__body__GOT0F .LiveBlog_blogmos__UcOVK img{height:auto} } .nav__isopen .navigation { width: 100%; height: 100%; } .LiveBlog_liveblog__body__GOT0F .LiveBlog_blog__author__info__LjRUK.LiveBlog_readmore__kuDgx>div p { padding-bottom: 0px;} .videotype .article__type .typedata{width: 62px;} .searchopen .Livetv_livetv__section__JsHPn.Livetv_widgetstyle__wrap__fk5JN{z-index:2} .pagetype__home_page .state_selction #state,.pagetype__elec_polling .state_selction #state, .pagenode__1939043 .state_selction #state, .pagenode__1938661 .state_selction #state {width:102px;} @media (max-width: 600px) { .pagetype__home_page .state_selction #state,.pagetype__elec_polling .state_selction #state, .pagenode__1939043 .state_selction #state, .pagenode__1938661 .state_selction #state { width: 100%; max-width: 100%; } } @media (max-width:1024px){ .short_info_txt{padding: 0 10px; line-height: 1.3; } } .LiveBlog_liveblog__body__GOT0F .LiveBlog_otherdetails__zUJeK .LiveBlog_container__BgsQx ul li, .LiveBlog_liveblog__body__GOT0F .LiveBlog_otherdetails__zUJeK .LiveBlog_container__BgsQx ul ol{ font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; padding-bottom: 5px; } .LiveBlog_liveblog__body__GOT0F .LiveBlog_otherdetails__zUJeK .LiveBlog_container__BgsQx ul { margin: 0; padding: 0 20px; } .rhs__ad.widgetgap.sticky__ad{display:block !important;} .GroupSearch_language__row___BTbZ{flex-wrap: wrap;grid-gap: 5px 0px;} .big__story__widget .story__content .headlines>h2>b.budget_calc a span { border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid #FFF; background: #D71920; color: #fff; font-size: 12px; padding: 2px 10px; font-weight: 500; position: relative; top: -2px; margin-left: 10px; } .big__story__widget .story__content .headlines>h2>b.budget_calc a { color: #FCAF2D; font-weight: 500; } @media (max-width:767px){ .budget_calc{position: relative; display: block; padding-right: 140px;} .big__story__widget .story__content .headlines>h2>b.budget_calc a span{ position: absolute; width: 122px; right: 0; top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%); height: 25px; line-height: 20px; } } .pagenode__2586260 .Conclave_event__speakerslist__dUDGM .Conclave_card__speaker__9UZNL { pointer-events: none; } .section__elections .textconst.constituency_description .showLess p:not(:first-child){ display:none} @media (max-width:860px) and (min-width:800px){ .pagetype__live_blog .table-header, .pagetype__live_blog .table-row{column-gap:5%;-moz-column-gap:5%} } .promo-wrap{display:none;} .sectionId__1206578 .CarouselShortVideo_carouselimg__widget__AHC3J{display:none} .sectionId__2631458 .taboola__container{display:none} .sectionId__1206666 .bestcolleges-banner{display:none} body:not(:has(.pagetype__home_page)) .CarouselShortVideo_carouselimg__widget__AHC3J{ display: none;} @media (max-width: 767px) { .container.stickyad .top__ad { min-height: 50px !important; height: 50px !important; overflow: hidden; } } .pagenode__2713437 #comment_box{display:none} .description .stpolliframe,.description .stquiziframe{margin-bottom:var(--widgetgap)} .description .stpolliframe{height:465px}.description .stquiziframe{height:390px} @media (min-width:680px){.description .stpolliframe{height:415px}.description .stquiziframe{height:400px}} body:has(.cmt-module-open) .stickyad,body:has(.cmt-module-open) .footernav{z-index: 9;} body:has(.cmt-module-open) .recommended__widget{z-index:1} .ads__container + h4:has(.bold_text){ display:none}   document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => { const observer = new MutationObserver((mutations) => { mutations.forEach((mutation) => { const elements = document.querySelectorAll('.sectionId__.pagenode__0.pagetype__undefined'); if (elements.length > 0) { elements.forEach((element) => { const childDivs = element.querySelectorAll('article'); childDivs.forEach((div) => { div.classList.remove('Bcard'); }); }); } }); }); observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); }); var rosURL = new URL(window.location.href); if(rosURL.pathname=='/'){ console.log(rosURL,'rosURL'); const slidertranding = document.querySelector("[data-slider]"); const track = slidertranding.querySelector("[data-slider-track]"); const prev = slidertranding.querySelector("[data-slider-prev]"); const next = slidertranding.querySelector("[data-slider-next]"); if (track) { prev.addEventListener("click", () => { next.removeAttribute("disabled"); track.scrollTo({ left: track.scrollLeft - track.firstElementChild.offsetWidth, behavior: "smooth" }); }); next.addEventListener("click", () => { prev.removeAttribute("disabled"); track.scrollTo({ left: track.scrollLeft + track.firstElementChild.offsetWidth, behavior: "smooth" }); }); track.addEventListener("scroll", () => { const trackScrollWidth = track.scrollWidth; const trackOuterWidth = track.clientWidth; prev.removeAttribute("disabled"); next.removeAttribute("disabled"); if (track.scrollLeft { if (link.textContent.includes("India Today Hindi")) { link.setAttribute("target", "_blank"); link.setAttribute("rel", "noopener noreferrer"); } }); Latest News Headlines Batwara 1947 box office Day 7: Sunny Deol's Partition drama faces Rs 50 crore test | Awarapan 2 box office Day 7: Emraan Hashmi's run hits first speed bump, dips 11% | Hong Kong activists await verdict in Tiananmen vigil subversion case | Trump and Michael Cohen reunite publicly as pardon bid resurfaces | US worked with Iran on deportations despite tensions, emails show | Hong Kong court to rule on Tiananmen vigil activists in security case | Bangladesh keeps door open to Mecca Pact as new power axis takes shape in Asia | Imran Khan shifted to Islamabad hospital after Pakistan Supreme Court order | Wab Kinew warns Canada against Trump concessions as US tariff deal nears | US widens Cuba sanctions as Americans returning from Havana face scrutiny | India Today impact: After police, ED probes multi-crore crypto fraud exposed in 2018 | High Court judge recuses from TMC's Sujit Bose bail plea over record access bid | New York woman busted in alleged ISIS-inspired plot to bomb Capitol building | Will become doctor in next life: 19-year-old NEET aspirant dies by suicide | Andhra MP’s son booked after speeding Aston Martin hits, kills woman in Hyderabad