Gunpowder

Origins of Gunpowder

The origins of gunpowder are shrouded in mystery. The confusion surrounding the appearance of the earliest firearms has caused considerable debate amongst historians of the subject. The difficulty arises due to the fact that gunpowder before its inception, and to some extent even after it, was not clearly differentiated from its attendant technologies; compounds holding very similar properties and serving analogous purposes. The use of incendiaries in war has been quite common since the earliest times. Since these weapons involved the use of fire, similar to gunpowder weapons, naturally it took time before people could discern between the distinct technologies. Therefore, to get to the root of the debate regarding the origins of gunpowder it is essential to delve deeper into the past and examine its predecessor incendiary devices, both military and non-military, which must have led to the development of gunpowder.

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