Who Invented Gunpowder? – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

The invention of gunpowder has influenced the history of warfare for the last centuries. Although gunpowder was known to the alchemists for thousands of years before it was first used as an explosive for military situation.

Gunpowder is used for military purposes such as rifles, cannons as well as fireworks. It is mainly made by mixing potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal into a compound that instantly burns. Gunpowder can be used for describing other substances that have comparable burning properties.

The first written record of gunpowder dates back to around 140 AD in China. An alchemist named Wei Boyang of the Han dynasty court explained the mixture and its properties how it would make too much uproar when flame it applied. No one is sure if Wei Boyan is to be credited with the invention of gunpowder. However, it is possible because gunpowder was not known before that time.

Gunpowder was known as an explosive to the Chinese Chin Dynasty after a hundred years. In fact it was described as dangerous by Ge Hong as it was uncontrollable despite a lot of alchemists experimenting and unluckily dying because of the volatile results of poor and improper mixture. After some hundred years, scientists of T’ang dynasty invented rifles powered from gunpowder by using hollowed bamboo tubes.

At one end of the tube, gunpowder was filled and a small ball was placed inside the tube. The gunpowder exploded when it was lit propelling the ball towards the enemy. Cannons and rifles made from iron had taken some time to invent and were not common until the Song dynasty in 12th century. Strengthening the bamboo tube rifles with metal grips which made it easy to hold and take aim was done in early 10th century since the end of T’ang dynasty.

Gunpowder had spread from China to the Islamic world and Byzantine Empire during the same time when Song dynasty was developing rifles and cannons. The devastating use of gunpowder to destroy the enemy quickly attracted the foreign powers who rushed to copy it and improve the Chinese designs.

European gunpowder makers in 15th century invented corn cakes, it was a mixture of water and gunpowder shaped into a cake. It was used in cannons and produced more reliable propellant that burned entirely before exploding. This paved way for more powerful and smaller cannons.