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Tang Dynasty Gunpowder

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Gunpowder emerged in China during the Tang Dynasty and proceeded to have profound effects on the world. It was first discovered when Chinese alchemists were searching for an elixir for immortality mixed sulfur, saltpeter, and birthwort herb together creating an explosive mixture. Gunpowder spread from China to India, the Middle east, and finally to Europe following the same route as the Mongol invasions and along the Silk Road. With gunpowder, China was able to make huge leaps in military technology changing from the standard sword and bow to mines and flamethrowers. Gunpowder led to new formations in the Chinese military due to early gunpowder weapons not being able to be used on horseback it led to an increase in infantry. The first gunpowder …show more content…

With India’s adoption of gunpowder weapons it led to the eventual rise of one of the Gunpowder Empires, the Mughal Empire. The Mughal Empire arose in 1526 due to its military innovations in gunpowder technology, specifically the Mysorean Rockets. From 1240 to 1280 gunpowder spread from India to the Middle East and was thus introduced to the Ottomans. The Ottoman Empire was also a Gunpowder Empire and like the Chinese Military the Ottoman military were also reorganized leading to smaller units in battle. They were able to do this due to the destructive force of the canon that was first used in Egypt in 1260. In addition, the spread of gunpowder to the Ottomans led to a cultural shift because canon’s meant that city walls were no longer impregnable leading to the fall of Constantinople. With the fall of Constantinople in 1453 it signified the last time that Christianity would be a major influence in the Middle East. Furthermore, with city walls becoming obsolete it affected the building of new cities. Finally, gunpowder was introduced to Europe through the Mongols along with knowledge of gunpowder through the Silk

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