Yuan-Dynasty Firearms

Timeline

1. 1351–1353Dadu armories and firearms workshops · North ChinaDuring the Zhizheng era, the Yuan court maintained a central armaments system, with firearms manufacturing and storage institutions in Dadu and the provinces, producing bronze and iron hand cannons, paper rockets, and explosive devices for suppressing the Red Turban uprisings.
2. 1355–1358Jianghuai battlefield · JianghuaiYuan forces and the Red Turbans fought repeatedly in the Jianghuai region, both sides using hand cannons, fire cannons, and rockets. Archaeologically discovered Zhizheng-dated bronze hand cannons indicate that firearms were standardized and deployed in large-scale field battles and sieges during this period.
3. 1359–1360Various parts of China · ChinaIn the chaos of the late Yuan, local armed forces and rebel armies also mastered firearms manufacturing technology; firearms knowledge spread with regime change to the early Ming, laying the foundation for the Ming firearms bureau system and equipment such as bowl-mouth cannons.