Subjects:
in history has been gunpowder. And there are many things that can be argued about
gunpowder itself. Such as where was it originated, when was it originated, and how did it
spread across the world. These are three questions I will be looking at in this paper.
However the purpose of this paper is to prove that gunpowder gave rise to the powerful
western world while it inevitably left the China and the Eastern World behind.
It is generally determined that the discoverers of gunpowder were the Chinese. As
early as in the T'ang dynasty (AD 618-906) there seem to have existed what were called
"fire trees" and "silver flowers." Chinese legend has it that some herdsmen who were
trying to keep warm saw their campfire leap and fizzle around like a torch. They soon
discovered that the fire pit was built on sulfur with a rock containing potassium
perchlorate, the ingredients of gunpowder. This soon became a common mixture to make
fire. To transport the mixture with so much firepower, the herdsman used a hollow
bamboo stick with mud at both ends. The stick, accidentally fell into a fire and exploded
with a bang. Thus the “fire trees” and “silver
. . .
Who invented the first gun we may never know, for history is very confusing on
this point, but it is a historical fact that on February 11th, 1326, the Republic of Venice
ordered cannon and bullets for the defense of its castles and villages, while in 1338 cannon
and powder were provided for the protection of the ports of Harfleur and l'Heure against
Edward III. Some people think the "thunder" was a real cannon. At the time it was also a very
common thing to throw "gobbettes of meate" and other leftovers from the table to the
various animals who also shared the house.
Only a few decades after this time, the Mongols completed their conquest of the
greatest land empire ever known to man, not only including all of China, but also most of
the rest of Asia and Eastern Europe as far west as Poland and Hungary.
Up until that time, the balance of advantage in a siege lay with the defenders.
In England Elizabeth I granted a monopoly for digging and working saltpetre to
George and John Evelyn and Richard Hills, and so diligent were these gentlemen in the
search for saltpetre and getting rich it was said in a heated debate in Parliament about the
"Saltpeetermen" that:
They dig in dove cotes when the doves be nesting, cast up malting floors when the malt be
green, in bedchambers, in sickrooms, not even sparing women in childbed, yea, even in God's
house, the Church.
These floors were covered with rushes which probably stayed there for two or three years
and just had a fresh layer added to them from time to time. It was boiled in large iron pots, and as it was
heated, scum consisting of common salt, rose to the top and was skimmed off. This
formula called exact mixtures of the three chemicals that when mixed correctly and lit
would make a small explosion. In any case, the Chinese
themselves, despite knowing of cannons existing over the past several centuries, have
rarely made great use of them until relatively recent times.
The advantage of gunpowder went to whomever could make it the fastest as did
most advantages in those days. It was then poured into shallow pans which, as the liquid evaporated
became filled with saltpetre. And on top of that a wood grating was placed. However there has been considerable
argument as to whether these references to explosives indicate that the Chinese knew
about the use of a cannon and also if the explosives were in fact gunpowder.
Essay's Topics
All research is for reference purposes only.