Gunpowder
Alchemists seeking immortality find explosives
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Gunpowder reached Europe in the 13th century, probably via Mongol armies, and there took a very different course: competition among many small warring states drove cannon technology at a pace China, unified under one dynasty, had no reason to match. Artillery made the medieval castle obsolete, centralised power in the hands of those who could afford guns, and let relatively small European fleets dominate coastlines in Asia and the Americas.
For children
Chinese alchemists were trying to brew a potion for eternal life. Instead they mixed saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal — and found that it exploded. First they used it for fireworks, then for weapons.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org