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The use of proto-cannon, and other gunpowder weapons, enabled the Song dynasty to ward off its generally militarily superior enemies—the Khitan led Liao, Tangut led Western Xia, and Jurchen led Jin—until its final collapse under the onslaught of the Mongol forces of Kublai Khan and his Yuan dynasty in the late 13th century.
The Siege Provisioning Workshop was also responsible for gunpowder and flamethrower weapons in addition to other siege weapons. In total, the Northern Song dynasty was able to produce every year 32,000 items of iron armour and 22.7 million bows, crossbows, and arrows. [173]
Earliest known written formula for gunpowder, from the Wujing Zongyao of 1044 AD.. Gunpowder is the first explosive to have been developed. Popularly listed as one of the "Four Great Inventions" of China, it was invented during the late Tang dynasty (9th century) while the earliest recorded chemical formula for gunpowder dates to the Song dynasty (11th century).
The Southern Han army kept a permanent corps of war elephants. When the Song dynasty invaded in 970, their crossbowmen readily routed the Southern Han elephants. This was the last time elephants were used in Chinese warfare. [9] [10] In 971, Liu Chang surrendered to the Song dynasty. The state of Southern Han was characterized by a civilian ...
Private trade of gunpowder ingredients is banned in the Song dynasty. [20] 1075: Sinosphere: Vietnam's Lý dynasty used fire arrows and against the Song dynasty during the Lý–Song War (1075–1077). [21] 1076: China: Trade of gunpowder ingredients with the Liao and Western Xia dynasties is outlawed by the Song court. [14] 1083: China
Court portrait of Emperor Renzong. The Wujing Zongyao was compiled under the sponsorship of Emperor Renzong of Song (r. 1022–1063 AD), [5] who was concerned that many officials were unfamiliar with the military classics, [6] and partially as a response to the Song dynasty's war with the Tanguts of Western Xia.
Both gunpowder and the fierce fire oil were produced under the Arsenals Administration of the Song dynasty. [6] In the early 12th century AD, Kang Yuzhi recorded his memories of military commanders testing out fierce oil fire on a small lakelet. They would spray it about on the opposite bank that represented the enemy camp.
This dynasty saw the first surviving records of the chemical formula for gunpowder, the invention of gunpowder weapons such as fire arrows, bombs, and the fire lance. It also saw the first discernment of true north using a compass, first recorded description of the pound lock , and improved designs of astronomical clocks .