China: Cannon and cannonballs at the Nanking Arsenal, built by Li Hongzhang in 1865. Photo by Photo by John Thomson (1837-1921), c. 1871. First used in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), cannons were among the earliest forms of gunpowder artillery, and over time replaced siege engines—among other forms of aging weaponry—on the battlefield. The first hand cannon appeared during the 1260 Battle of Ain Jalut between the Mamluks and Mongols in the Middle East. The first cannons in Europe were probably used in Iberia, during the Reconquista, in the 13th century.

---

Size: 5010px × 3514px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1871, 19th, armory, armoury, army, arsenal, asia, asian, ball, cannon, century, china, chinese, dynasty, east, firearm, gatling, gun, gunpowder, historical, history, hongzhang, image, images, john, li, machine, military, nanjing, nanking, photo, photograph, photography, pictures, qing, thomson, warfare, weapon, weaponry