Gunpowder is perhaps one of the best known inventions from China. It was developed during the latter part of the Han dynasty, or sometime in the early third century AD, but was generally not used for warfare until at least the eighth century. The Mongol invasion, which ended the Sung dynasty, featured the use of gunpowder-driven weapons against the Mongols, but to no avail. The Mongols quickly learned all of the Chinese tricks and used the technology against them.
Some Fireworks
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Gunpowder is made from sulfur, potassium nitrate, and carbon (usually in the form of fine charcoal). Fireworks of various colors can be made from mixing gunpowder with other elements that burn in various colors, such as strontium (burns red), bromium (burns green), and magnesium.
Gunpowder was mainly used in the rocket, which was used either for launching fireworks into the air, or as a means of delivering an explosive shell at an enemy.
The nearly continuous warfare from the end of the Han dynasty to the Mongol invasion triggered the development of many gunpowder-based weapons. Bamboo tubes were used to launch gunpowder-propelled spears known as fire lances. Catapults were used to throw canisters of gunpowder into enemy lines. This seems to be the precursor of the cannon, which the Chinese developed at a later date. The cannon was one weapon the West quickly adopted. When the cannon was installed on the superior European ships, the western countries were able to easily defeat the larger but slower Chinese ships.
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