The History of Gunpowder

A landmark year for gunpowder was in 1040 when it was mentioned in the Wu Jintong yao by Song Dynasty scholar Zhang Gong Liang. This work, known in English as the complete essentials for the military classics in the 11th century, was the go-to source for all things related to military science including strategy and weaponry. In the 12th and 13th centuries, mostly thanks to the Mongols, the secrets of gunpowder first spread to the Arab countries, then to Greece, then other European countries, and finally all over the world. Let's touch on printing. During the Tang, this is considered the time period that produced the earliest printed text in the world.