Weiyuan General Cannon[3] (simplified Chinese: 威远将军炮; traditional Chinese: 威遠將軍炮), also known as "Weiyuan General Gun" or "Divine Invincible Great General Cannon", [4] was a large-caliber, short-barreled front-mounted mortar,[5] manufactured in the 29th year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1690). [6]
| Chinese | 威远将军炮 |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1690 |
| Founder | Dai Zi[1] |
| National origin | Qing Dynasty |
| Named by | Kangxi Emperor[2] |
Weiyuan General Cannon was first developed by Nan Huairen, but eventually failed,[7] and was later developed successfully by Dai Zi (戴梓), [8] a firearms maker in the early Qing Dynasty.
Specifications
editWeiyuan General Cannon, made of bronze, [9] had a caliber of 212 mm,[10] a length of 69 cm, and weighed 280 kg.[11]
History
editAt the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the Dzungar nobles, supported by Tsarist Russia, launched a large-scale rebellion. In order to quell this rebellion, Emperor Xuanye ordered the manufacture of firearms. Nan Huairen accepted the task of making cannons, he spent a year but failed to build it. Then, Dai Zi built the cannon in eight days[12] (another way of saying eight months).[13] Emperor Xuanye was so happy about this that he led all ministers to try it out themselves, and then named the cannon "Weiyuan General Cannon".[14]
Usages
editWeiyuan General Cannon played an important role in the Pacification of the Dzungar Rebellion (平定准噶尔叛乱) by the Kangxi Emperor, [15] and the Qing army's several battles against the enemy.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Li Shaoyi (1985). History of Ancient Chinese Weapons. China Prospect Press. pp. 154–.
- ^ Liu Xu (1989). Ancient Chinese Artillery History. Shanghai People's Publishing House. pp. 83–. ISBN 978-7-208-00061-2.
- ^ Michael Pecht (9 December 2010). "Past and Present" (PDF). www.cecdarchive.umd.edu.
- ^ Chinese People's Revolutionary Military Museum (1991). Chinese Military Museum. China Overseas Chinese Publishing Company. pp. 129–. ISBN 978-7-80074-543-0.
- ^ Children's Encyclopedia of Arms. Juvenile and Children's Publishing House. 1998. pp. 68–. ISBN 978-7-5324-3617-0.
- ^ History can't bear to look closely. Henan Literature and Art Publishing House. 2007. pp. 110–. ISBN 978-7-80623-792-2.
- ^ Chinese Military History. Liberation Army Publishing House. 1983. pp. 95–.
- ^ "Qing Dynasty genius invented the world's first machine gun". China News Service. 2010-12-15.
- ^ Chinese People's Revolutionary Military Museum (2003). Into the Chinese People's Revolutionary Military Museum. Ordnance Industry Press. ISBN 978-7-80172-132-7.
- ^ Encyclopedia of China. Encyclopedia of China Publishing House. 1980. pp. 1321–.
- ^ Li Shouyi (2007). Swords, Spears, Swords, and War. Shanxi People's Publishing House. pp. 157–. ISBN 978-7-203-05803-8.
- ^ "Qing Dynasty artist invented "machine gun" that can fire 28 rounds in a row". Sina. 2006-04-01.
- ^ Zhou Feng (1990). The Famous City of Hangzhou in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Zhejiang People's Publishing House. pp. 539–. ISBN 978-7-213-00573-2.
- ^ Knowledge of literature and history. Zhonghua Book Company. 1987. pp. 89–.
- ^ Zhuang Kaige (1 January 2018). Subject Engraving. Zhejiang Photography Publishing House. pp. 54–. ISBN 978-7-5514-1917-8.
- ^ "Selected ancient weapons: artillery, muskets, real version of soft hedgehog armor". Ministry of National Defense. 2014-08-18.