Was reading a book and it was mentioned that the use of gunpowder spread to Europe in the 12th-13th centuries (possibly after Marco Polo?). Anyway, since India or at least the South had much more extensive contacts with the Chinese, how early did the South Indians (Chozhas, Pandyas etc) start using gunpowder? What is the earliest recorded work talking about the use of gunpowder? Does Kalingaththuparani talk about it?
as far as I know it was babar who brought gun powder inside india.
the period between 1508 and 1519 the Ottoman Empire's new weapon, the matchlock musket was seen in warfare. Babur, it appears, was swift in acquiring this new technology for himself. Somewhere during these years Babur introduced matchlocks into his army, and allowed an Ottoman, Ustad Ali, to train his troops, who were then known as Matchlockmen, in their use. Babur's memoirs give accounts of battles where the opposition forces mocked his troops, never having seen a gun before, because of the noise they made and the way no arrows, spears, etc appeared to come from the weapon when fired. These guns allowed small armies to make large gains on enemy territory. Small parties of skirmishers who had been dispatched simply to test enemy positions and tactics were making inroads into India. in panipat ibrahim Lodhi advanced against him with 100,000 soldiers and 100 elephants; and though Babur's army was possibly as few as 25,000 men he won
the cholas had perhaps never seen the cannon. even malik kafur who put an end to established muvendars in south had not seen one.
earlier turks in the south used a flame thrower possibly using naptha.
malik kafur used fire tipped arrows - the tips being made of camel dung and camel hair so that the fire doesnt get extinguished in the arrows flight
Wow Venketesh... thanks for that bit of info. I too had read that Babur had introduced canons to India. But I still find it really funny... If the Cholas had such extensive contacts with the Chinese, how come they never got to use gunpowder? Or even a mention of it? Seems very strange to say the least.
Hi Arun the chinese used to fill gun powder in a bamboo piece.
if they plugged it on both sides before igniting it was a bomb. if they plugged only one side it became a rocket. they used rockets for signalling extensively.
I dont think the chinese used gun powder during the times of the cholas
An early record of gunpowder, is in a Chinese book from c. 850 A.D. called "Classified Essentials of the Mysterious Tao of the True Origin of Things," indicates that gunpowder was a byproduct of Taoist alchemical efforts to develop an elixir of immortality.
funny no?
immortality and death.
The Chinese first seem to have used gunpowder in warfare in 904 A.D., as incendiary projectiles called "flying fires." (These were invented during the Tang Dynasty and were originally used for fireworks.)
The important step was to use gunpowder as a propellant. The first such use was recorded in 1132 in experiments with mortars consisting of bamboo tubes. Mortars with metal tubes (made of iron or bronze) first appeared in the wars (1268-1279) between the Mongols and the Song Dynasty.
That's precisely what I mean. Since during the Chola times, there seems to have been the knowhow... and since Kullothunga etc went to China, I am surprised to see that this didn't make its appearance in South India before the Muslims arrived. Also, what is the earliest Tamil work that mentions the use of gunpowder in war?
my info is very elementary. but I think it warrants a better study which we shall do in the coming weeks.
but this greek fire the predecessor of gunpowder( where one sprays naptha and ignites it on ships) was a real fearsome ammunition considering hulls of wood and sails of cloth.
I think the real work on gun based warfare started in the new roman empire in constyatinople.
when mongols invaded delhi wassaf and khusro dont even mention sucha weapon. they take pains to even describe the arrow proof siilk underwear the mongols wore. they woulndt have missed this.
after the mongols came only malik visited south india. he didnt use the weapon either. so the first prize goes to babar. lodi was surprised at the weapon and his elephants bolted at the thunder.
just wondering. if I as an individual had just one machine gun and unlimited ammunition I could have conquered the chola chera and pandyas.
In his last days, Sandilyan was writing a sequel to his novel "Rajathilagam" This appeared in the weekly Kumudam for a few weeks and then the author passed away...
In one of the episodes, I remember he talking of gunshots in the malabar coast...
I still have those Kumudam pages in my native place. Will try to bring it to Chennai.
> > Unfortunately it was other way around ... > > one of the Pandya cousins wanted to settle score with another and > sought the help of Malik's gang .. they entered, cleared the cousin > first and then this guy ! > > First Tamil ruler in History to seek support from Malik's gang!
we all under estimate malik kafur he would have attacked madurai even without sundar a pandyas help and there is evidence to suggest sundara deserted malik much ahead of madurai,
if you need to blame some body its the hoysalas vir ballala and co who offered logistic support to malik to settle scores with the pandyas.
malik was even planning a naval invasion of lanka before politics heated up back in delhi.