Siege Mangonel

Timeline

1. 1232–1233Kaifeng · Kaifeng CityJin defenders fired zhentianlei explosive bombs loaded with gunpowder from traction trebuchets; records state the fuse was lit first, the rope pulled to hurl the stone, and a thunderous explosion on landing. The Mongols dug trenches to approach and used cowhide coverings to counter the explosive fragments, showing that by the 1230s East Asian sieges systematically employed traction trebuchets and early explosive bombs.
2. 1236–1240East European steppe and Rus' cities · Rus' city-states regionIn Batu's western campaign, the Mongols brought Muslim and Chinese craftsmen from conquered lands, bombarding wooden palisades and stone walls with traction trebuchets in coordination with fire attacks and mining. The Persian Jami' al-Tawarikh and Rus' chronicles both record siege engines and stone bombardment, supplementing steppe cavalry with fixed-position firepower.