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History of gunpowder. Earliest known written formula for gunpowder, from the Wujing Zongyao of 1044 AD. Gunpowder is the first explosive to have been developed. Popularly listed as one of the "Four Great Inventions" of China, it was invented during the late Tang dynasty (9th century) while the earliest recorded chemical formula for gunpowder ...
The Four Great Inventions are inventions from ancient China that are celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance and as symbols of ancient China's advanced science and technology. They are the compass , gunpowder , papermaking and printing .
[17] Based on these Taoist texts, the invention of gunpowder by Chinese alchemists was likely an accidental byproduct from experiments seeking to create the elixir of life. [18] This experimental medicine origin is reflected in its Chinese name huoyao (Chinese: 火药/火藥; pinyin: huǒ yào /xuo yɑʊ/), which means "fire medicine". [19]
The Chinese name for firecrackers, baozhu, literally means "exploding bamboo". [203] After the invention of gunpowder, gunpowder firecrackers had a shape that resembled bamboo and produced a similar sound, so the name "exploding bamboo" was retained. [204] In traditional Chinese culture, firecrackers were used to scare off evil spirits. [204]
Timeline of the gunpowder age. This is a timeline of the history of gunpowder and related topics such as weapons, warfare, and industrial applications. The timeline covers the history of gunpowder from the first hints of its origin as a Taoist alchemical product in China until its replacement by smokeless powder in the late 19th century (from ...
Four Great Inventions. The intricate frontispiece of the Diamond Sutra from Tang dynasty China, 868 AD (British Library) The "Four Great Inventions" (simplified Chinese: 四大发明; traditional Chinese: 四大發明; pinyin: sì dà fāmíng) are the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing. Paper and printing were developed first.
The idea that gunpowder was a Chinese invention was not new to Europeans by then, and had been in circulation in Europe since at least the late 16th century. According to Juan de Mendoza, writing in 1585, the Chinese told the Portuguese that they had invented gunpowder, contradicting their own belief that "an Almane" had been the inventor.
The fire lance (simplified Chinese: 火枪; traditional Chinese: 火槍; pinyin: huǒqiāng; lit. 'fire spear') was a gunpowder weapon and the ancestor of modern firearms. [1] It first appeared in 10th–12th century China and was used to great effect during the Jin-Song Wars. It began as a small pyrotechnic device attached to a polearm weapon ...