History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c37.3

c37.3

We have already referred to an extensive use of copper, bronze and brass in ancient India during the Ayurvedic Period for making household utensils, weapons, and images of idols for worship. We shall deal here with their uses for the construction of guns and cannons by casting during the Mogul rule. Babar, the first Mogul Emperor, who first introduced guns in India, has given an account of the casting of a copper gun in his well-known memoirs. Babar writes: "Around the mould they had erected eight furnaces for melting the metal (copper). From the foot of each started a channel which ended in the mould. The fused metal rushed into the mould through these channels like boiling water, till the mould was filled up. * * * * A day or two afterwards when the mould had cooled down, it was opened. * * * * The bore of the piece had no fault and a chamber could easily be made in it. The body of the cannon was then uncovered, and a certain number of artificers were set to finish it. * * * * * * * * * *". Brass and bronze were subsequently used in quantities for this purpose It is stated that early in Aurangjeb's reign there were in the field with the Emperor some seventy pieces of heavy artillery, made mostly of brass. Some of these were so heavy and large that they had to be drawn and moved about with the help of 20 yoke of oxen.