Discovering Gunpowder
Gunpowder was first discovered and used in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). Gunpowder is a mixture of chemicals that can be used to make explosions. This ancient Chinese invention affects our lives even today. Products such as firecrackers, ammunition, and dynamite all began with the invention of gunpowder.
The knowledge of how to create and use gunpowder developed over a long period of time. Pharmacists, who used chemicals to make medicines noticed that certain mixtures would flash suddenly and cause heat when a spark lit them. They discovered that if they put the mixture into something that held it tightly, such as the dry hollow stem of a plant called bamboo, it caused a more violent reaction when lit. It made sparks that seemed to fly and dance. Over time, experimentation helped people figure out how to use this knowledge to make useful products.
Writing about an invention preserves and spreads the knowledge since books can be transported easily and read by others in other times and places. It also records what people knew about it and when they knew it. Though it had been used and experimented with for many years, gunpowder was first written about and described in Wujing zongyao, a book about military techniques compiled in 1040 CE. The Chinese book gave three different ways to make gunpowder and explained the scientific principle of how it works. It said that, when lit, gunpowder would expand in volume (get bigger quickly) and release energy (power) at the same time, which caused an explosion. That description shows that the Chinese not only observed what gunpowder did, but they understood some of the important science behind the reaction they saw. Since they wrote it down, others could read about it and begin to think about how to use the concepts in inventing uses for gunpowder.
Early Uses of Gunpowder
It was not until the end of the Tang dynasty that China found a way to use gunpowder as a weapon known as fei huo or “flying fire.” The “flying fire” was a lump of flaming gunpowder that was thrown from a machine called a catapult. The catapult was like a huge arm that was pulled back and then released so that whatever was in the “hand” or scoop part of it would be flung forward harder and further than a person could ever throw it. In war, the fireballs could be catapulted or thrown into enemy cities to burn buildings and destroy any wooden gates or walls. The Chinese loaded the catapults onto carts so that they could move their new weapons into place against their enemies more easily.
In the Song dynasty (1200’s CE), the Chinese found ways to use gunpowder in non-military ways, too. The firecracker was developed for entertainment. Gunpowder also began to be used in medically. They discovered that the heat and flash of lit gunpowder could stop a wound from bleeding.
Three types of weapons were eventually invented to use gunpowder: Explosive weapons (bombs), barrel-type weapons (guns and cannons), and propellant (rocket-type) weapons All of these inventions helped the emperors and Chinese military to conquer or control land and protect their territories better. Gunpowder also helped feed the people as the weapons were used for hunting.
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Gunpowder Spreads West
Through trade, the “explosive” invention of gunpowder was introduced to other cultures who continued to experiment with what could be done with it. During 700-800BCE, the Arabs imported saltpeter, the essential ingredient of gunpowder, from China. They called the chemical mixture “Chinese snow” and began to use its explosive qualities for military purposes.
By the 1500’s, the military use of gunpowder spread to the Middle East and eventually Europe. This created important changes in warfare and weapons. Armies of knights who were traveling to Arab countries in wars called Crusades learned about using the technology of gunpowder in weapons. They had been used to of fighting closer up to an enemy in armor with swords or with bows with arrows. Weapons and war strategy had to change to meet the challenge of this new technology. Relying on a few well armored knights, stone castles, and peasant armies were no longer the best strategy for fighting an enemy with these new weapons. Cannons destroyed stone castles, and guns fired before knights had the chance to get close enough to use swords.
Modern Uses of Gunpowder
The invention of gunpowder set off an explosion of other inventions. New, more powerful levels of explosives were invented based on what scientists knew about gunpowder. These are called “high-power explosives.” After the 1800’s, Swedish scientists invented dynamite and German scientists invented something even more powerful called TNT. They are much more powerful than gunpowder. TNT was used in both World War I and II to make extremely powerful and destructive bombs.
The explosive properties of gunpowder are used in many non-military ways, too. We save hundreds of hours in building and transportation when explosives are used to create tunnels that now can go through mountains and roads can be made straighter. Farmers and home builders who used to spend weeks digging stumps out of fields can use dynamite and finish in a day. Explosives are used to break up ice jams that stop trade and transportation on waterways, and in many, many other ways.
The invention of gunpowder has been used to attack, to defend, to heal, and to entertain as holidays, sports events, and other celebrations worldwide are now marked with fireworks. It is used to help build and to destroy. This ancient Chinese invention has exploded its way through history to become part of our daily lives!
* About These Documents
This collection of documents was developed in collaboration with MCPS and ___. They provide additional information and explanation of the political, economic, and social systems of each dynasty. Students and teachers may find them helpful when completing the Dynasty Project in the sixth grade Unit 3 guide The Impact of Economics in Ancient and Modern China. The additional readings are provided to also supplement student understand of the achievements of ancient China and their influence on other civilizations.
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