The History and Chronology of Gunpowder and Gunpowder Weapons (c.1000 to 1850)

Book excerpt: Gunpowder has been considered as one of the most important discoveries made by man after the wheel. Interestingly, the origin of gunpowder is still shrouded in uncertainty. Nobody can definitely say who actually invented gunpowder and when. Common belief has it that gunpowder was invented in China and then came to India via the Silk Route. Studies done by the author show that gunpowder was actually invented in India went to China via the trade routes, from where it was showcased to World. With gunpowder, came the development of weapons, which changed the course of wars and changed the very course of history. An analysis of various weapons, their development and chronology has been systematically discussed. It covers the time period from 1000 AD to 1850 AD. The end period, 1850 AD, has been chosen as the cutoff date since percussion weapons came into vogue after that period and are well-documented in history. The start date, 1000 AD, is chosen on purpose to give a small margin to encompass any aberrations in discovery of gunpowder. The author sincerely hoped that this work would form a platform from which other studies/ research could be conducted by future arms historians.