Gunpowder
Curated by: Farah
Curated by: Farah
Creation of Gunpowder
The invention of gunpowder by the Chinese had a significant impact in that it changed the ways wars were fought, and led to scientific and chemical advancement.
Image 01: Gunpowder
Image 02: A drawing illustrating the "manner of making & representing flowers in the Chinese fireworks"
In the 9th century, during the Tang dynasty, gunpowder was first invented. Ancient Chinese alchemists, primarily Taoists, accidentally discovered Gunpowder while on a quest for an elixir of immortality. The gunpowder was made by mixing saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. The exact date of when this happens is unknown but historical texts show that many people were killed in the process.
Gunpowder affected wars significantly by changing the ways they were fought. The Song Dynasty used gunpowder for weapons like rocket arrows and early cannons for the Mungols. Before gunpowder, weapons were designed around the limits of their users’ muscular strength; after gunpowder, they were designed more in response to tactical demand. This period marked a turning point, as ancient Chinese gunpowder weapons had finally evolved from rudimentary firecrackers into strategic tools of war during this time. Chinese inventors had introduced weapons like the Thunderclap Bomb and Heaven-Shaking Cannon, they are all powerful devices capable of delivering high-impact explosions.
Image 03: Drawing of an ancient cannon.
Image 04: The elixir of life
Advantages in War
Because of gunpowder that gave ancient china leverage. China won wars due to having gunpowder such as the war against the Mongols. With gunpowder ancient China became more advanced and had more leverage during war.
Additional Sites
This website goes into more depth on how gunpowder was invented and discovered.