Focus
on Gunpowder
by Ryan Bradeen
According to my students’ research, each of the three major Eurasian civilizations considered here (Europe, Islam and China) had their own scientific and alchemical traditions that prepared the ground for the introduction of gunpowder in the 1300’s – 1500’s. Each civilization had independently discovered the properties of sulfur, saltpeter and carbon. Alchemists in all three civilizations were mixing these materials together in various amounts and combinations. But it appears most likely that Chinese alchemists first discovered the mixture that produced the explosive capacity of gunpowder.
When the Mongols conquered China, they captured Chinese alchemists who gave them the secret of gunpowder. The Mongols were enthusiastic adopters and adapters of technology; they quickly recognized the potential of gunpowder. In the enormous area which the Mongols came to control - from China almost to the Mediterranean coast and into Europe. In this whole area the secret of gunpowder rapidly spread. Presented with the proper recipe, alchemists in each civilization, such as Roger Bacon in England, had all the right materials and expertise at hand to put the formula to use. Thus the nature of gunpowder’s transmission becomes clear. A long slow fuse of experimentation and development of alchemical expertise was followed by an explosive dissemination once the recipe had been discovered. The political unity imposed by the Mongols and the alchemical skill possessed in each civilization created a situation in which the initial discovery leaped to every corner of Eurasia with a speed stunning for the time period.
I have never before seen the transmission of gunpowder described in this way. Having worked through the students’ data myself, I believe these young scholars have created an important new presentation of this story. I am not suggesting that they have made a radical new interpretation, but rather that they have brought this story forward for the appreciation of a more general audience.
This is an excellent example of the authenticity and value of the Silk Road website design project. Students have the oppportunity to do real historical research and to solve a fascinating puzzle while at the same time learning valuable technical skills.