Introduction
Humanity has witnessed countless technological discoveries throughout history some of which have turned out to be quiet helpful while others have led to destruction and massive loss of life. It can be noted that every sphere of our lives has a characteristic technological development with scientists projecting enormous advancements in future.
Among other phases, weaponry has received considerable technological developments which have remained significant. Major historic events like World War I & II saw technological battles from different groups. However, the question which lingers in the mind of many people is how these weapons were developed and some of the impacts they have.
This synthesis focuses on gunpowder which was commonly used in olden days before the emergence of other sophisticated and more lethal firearms. The paper analyses the impact of gunpowder with reference to China. To achieve this objective, a wide range of approach has been adopted that encompasses the effect of the technology on the government, economy, educational and religious systems.
What is Gunpowder?
Although not commonly used in today’s weaponry, gunpowder found its way in history hundreds of years ago. According to Brandt’s 1864 research, gunpowder is mainly composed of charcoal, sulphur and saltpetre. These elements have unique chemical properties and play different roles in the functioning of the powder.
They are therefore mixed in varying ratios depending on the group of people who intent to use it say, military, air force or navy. One of the major properties of the mixture upon which its efficiency is based is its explosive and propellant nature (Brandt, 1864). Although gunpowder is instantaneously explosive, its real functioning allows preservation until the shot reaches the nozzle of the gun.
Based on the chemical properties of the elements in the powder, Brandt noted that charcoal and saltpetre give it the explosive characteristic while sulphur is mainly added to allow firmness of grains to prevent them from disintegrating. Preparation of gunpowder requires technical knowhow due to a number of procedures and requirements to be met during its preparation. Basically, gunpowder operates under combustion principles with close to 600 degrees of heat needed for it to explode (Brandt, 1864).
History of Gunpowder
According to research findings, gunpowder technology was discovered in Asia by the Chinese in the 9th century and was used to make firearms before being used in the manufacture of rockets. By 1288, Chinese had made its own metal-barrel gun which used the powder.
This technology spread to parts of Europe through central Asia before being adopted by many other countries in the world. According to McClellan and Dorn (2006), the interaction between Muslims and Chinese Engineers allowed the technology to cross to the Islamic world as they used it against European Crusaders in the year 1249.
Nevertheless, there were several large cannons which originated from Europe before spreading to parts of Asia, Middle East and China (McClellan & Dorn, 2006). The fire accident at Weiyang in AD 1280 left many in shock after the destruction of a gunpowder store. This resulted into the death of close to a hundred guards with some of the debris being thrown more than three kilometers away.
With continuous advancement in technology, the explosive nature of gunpowder was highly improved by mid 14th century. This was attributed to the increase in the level of nitrate in the gunpowder formula with incorporation of other formulae which were considered to be more explosive. It was also during this time that Chinese had discovered more explosive round shots which used gunpowder that was enhanced with nitrates (Worth, 2004).
Impact of Gunpowder
Although gunpowder was formerly used during Chinese festive seasons, there is overwhelming evidence insinuating the role of gunpowder in military activities and how its discovery and adoption has significantly impacted Chinese Culture and environment.
Furthermore, Chinese understood the explosive potential and danger of gunpowder with some of them having experiencing explosions during its preparation (Worth, 2004). As a result, its adoption besides festival role was to have profound impact. Many researchers developed interest in exploring gunpowder and its potential impact and as a result, projectile explosives were created which marked the start of military applications. This was immediately followed by cannons and guns which were mainly used in warfare.
As documented by countless authors, gunpowder technology received immense support and attention due the disunity which constantly existed among Asian cultures resulting into conflicts and wars. Formation of armies was inevitable in order to protect the interests of certain cultures (Hjorth, Eichler & Khan, 2007).
Firearms and gunpowder therefore became very essential toolkits among Chinese armies. Even though gunpowder technology received wide spread use within China, its impact and destructive nature was not as intense as for the one used today. They were relatively of smaller size with limited accuracy and lethality (Lu & Wang, 1987).
As mentioned above, the expansion of gunpowder technology followed Mongols of China before spreading to other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. With this technology, Mongolians expanded their territory and conquered other kingdoms within and outside China. The powder was used against Japan during an attack which turned out to be unsuccessful.
It has been arguably mentioned that gunpowder played a major role in Chinese military activities. By adopting and refining the technology, China became among the first countries of the world to intensify its attack skills over their opponents. Its military application intensified after the fall of the Dynasty of Tang (Needham & Golas, 1999).
Several siege battles were witnessed in which gunpowder was used to burn and destroy the enemy. During the Dynasty of Song, gunpowder workshops were set up by the government where periodic production of explosives was witnessed.
Religious activities too played a significant role in the discovery and expansion of the technology that later turned out to be lethal and dangerous. Gunpowder was used in acrobats and other puppet performance mainly for decorative purposes and to add glamour to festive seasons (Werrett, 2010).
It therefore revitalized Chinese culture into attractive stage performance magic that has for years placed China ahead of many other countries of the world. This transformation in the manner in which performances have continuously been done attracts many people from outside China, a realization that has led to the global popularization of Chinese culture and theatre performances.
Additionally, the discovery of gunpowder by the Chinese attracted other countries mainly from Europe who wanted to advance in weaponry. As a result, many considered ways of creating ties with Chinese authority in order to acquire the technology of gun powder.
Due to its role in discovering the technology, China remained the main producer leading monopolization of gunpowder and the technology that was behind it until 13th Century (Lu & Wang, 1987). Through the silk trade route, gunpowder was traded to the Islamic world and Europe.
The monopolistic position of China over gunpowder production allowed China to exchange gunpowder for other products which it did not have. It can therefore be argued that gunpowder played a pivotal role in cementing trade relationships between China and other countries with some of the ties having been maintained to date.
While international trade was restricted due to wars around the world together with succession struggles among leaders, gunpowder found its way outside China with India incorporating it in her festive celebrations. Besides the fact that the technology moved out of China through various routes, Chinese too received other techniques to improve the idea to make it more efficient and lethal.
This influx and outflow of gunpowder technology led to competition between China and European countries which were highly interested in the trade (Lu & Wang, 1987). Due to its superiority, Britain overpowered China in gunpowder technology leading to attacks and sieges against China using the gunpowder they had invented. This forced Chinese government to consider new weaponry tactics in order to counteract the effect of foreign powers that had massively invested and advanced in gunpowder technology more than China.
Industrial Advancement
The composition of gunpowder required extraction and purification of certain mineral like sulphur, coal and saltpetre through chemical and industrial processes. Discovery of gunpowder therefore gave way to the establishment of production machineries which continued to be improved to meet China’s needs and incorporate better technological ideas (Needham & Golas, 1999).
These plants needed labor resulting into the creation of jobs for Chinese. Moreover, it has to be noted that China had an organized and bureaucratic labor which governed the extraction and exploitation of mineral resources from all Chinese provinces. Sulphur was mined mainly for pharmaceutical application and manufacture of gunpowder.
Despite this need for sulphur and Saltpetre, the government restricted monopoly in the production and supply of these products. The restrictions imposed by the Song government were founded on the possibility of his enemies to have easy access to sulphur and saltpetre which were key gunpowder components. Due to the improvement in gunpowder, Chinese shifted to explosive use leading to the establishment of large manufacturing plants in the dynasty of Song.
This move to establish more gunpowder and firearm production plants was economically significant in creation of jobs for Chinese and creation of trading opportunities with Europe and the Islam world (Werrett, 2010). Early industrial developments in China can therefore be traced back to the time when gunpowder was used and considered as a major firearm component.
Fireworks Gunpowder and Culture
In the context of the impact of gunpowder in China, it is of great significance to appreciate the fact that China prides of one of the richest cultures in the world. Adored by millions of Chinese and other nations around the world, the culture has been nurtured and preserved by the Chinese authority and its people who deeply value it.
One of the most outstanding elements of this culture is the Fireworks which are commonly witnessed during Chinese celebrations (Werrett, 2010). Although fireworks have become common in most parts of the world, tribute and credit are given to the Chinese people for the discovery and preservation of a cultural event which has drawn global attraction.
According to research findings, fireworks originated in China more than two thousand years ago. Unlike in today’s culture where fireworks are used in celebrations for entertainment, Chinese fireworks were initially used for a number of reasons. These included but not limited to scaring of beasts and evil spirits.
They were also common during Chinese prayers for happiness and success in life (Werrett, 2010). Even though less information could be in existence, fireworks are closely related gunpowder with regard to the major elements used to prepare them.
It has therefore been argued that the discovery and advancement in gunpowder technology equally impacted Chinese culture through improved fireworks. Charcoal, sulphur and saltpetre which are the major gunpowder ingredients are used in preparation of fireworks. Although some argue that the concoction was accidentally prepared, the interplay between fireworks and gunpowder cannot be refuted.
Since the discovery of fireworks which later led to the preparation of gunpowder, there have been tremendous developments in Chinese culture and education systems. Fireworks has become an independent profession within China with many people willing to explore the idea as a career that commonly finds its relevance in event organization (Werrett, 2010).
As a result, culture related institutions incorporate such studies in their curriculum in order to meet the existing demand. These pyrotechnicians have continually gained popularity and commanded respect from the public and the entire world for their ability to mount dazzling sound and light.
Rocket Development in China
The discovery of fireworks and gunpowder in China is viewed as a major contributor towards the development of skyrockets in China. Although fireworks were initially meant for religious purposes, its adoption by the military gave way for rockets (Lu & Wang, 1987).
Even if cannons and guns were major military developments during ancient days, rockets were also created resulting into significant military advancements. It is worth noting that enormous evolution from fireworks resulted in solid fueled rockets which have gained enormous application. As a result, firework type rockets are no longer used for entertainment and educational purposes.
Besides countless benefits which Chinese have derived from the discovery and developments in gunpowder, the government has also experienced challenges caused by these realizations.
These effects range from pollution to increase in insecurity and high prevalence of fire accidents. Sulphur which is one of the components used in gunpowder manufacture has adverse environmental impact. Environmental research indicates that when sulphur reacts with air, it forms an acidic gas, sulphur dioxide which leads to the formation of acid rain. Acid rain is harmful to both plants and animals since it is corrosive (Buchanan, 2006).
The government of China further incurs lose of lives which occur during mining accidents. It is true that mining is risky especially in cases where security measures are not well implemented. Mining of coal and sulphur also renders the land worthless in terms of its ability to support agricultural activities. Therefore, land that would have been put under agricultural production has been rendered useless because of rugged topology resulting from mining of gunpowder raw materials.
Conclusion
It is evident that gunpowder is one of the oldest military technologies in human history. Having found application in almost every part of the world, gunpowder remains arguably one of the discoveries that have traversed the world (Hjorth, Eichler & Khan, 2007). It is however good to give tribute to the Chinese who discovered the idea more than two thousand years ago.
As simple as it may have appeared to them at that time, the technology has impacted countless Chinese spheres of life. From industrial development to economic benefits, the government of China has experienced these effects throughout history. Many educational institutions and manufacturing plants have been established to propagate gunpowder technology.
Moreover, advancements in this technology have also led to negative effects like environmental pollution which the government continues to combat. Others have turned out to be fatal, claiming lives i.e. fire and mining accidents.
References
Brandt, J. D. (1864). Gunnery catechism. Massachusetts, U.S.: Harvard University.
Buchanan, J. B. (2006). Gunpowder, explosives and the state: a technological history. Lomdon, UK: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Hjorth, L. S., Eichler, B. A. & Khan, A. S. (2007).Technology and society: issues for the 21st century and beyond. Upper Saddle River. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Lu, G. & Wang, L. (1987). Science and civilization in China, Volume 5, Part 7. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
McClellan, J. E. & Dorn, H. (2006). Science and technology in world history: an introduction. Baltimore, Maryland: JHU Press.
Needham, J. & Golas, P. J. (1999). Science and civilization in China. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Werrett, S. (2010). Fireworks: pyrotechnic arts and sciences in European history. Chicago, USA: University of Chicago Press.
Worth, R. (2004). Gunpowder. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.