Ming Army Matchlock

Timeline

1. 1511–1513Malacca · Malay PeninsulaIn 1511 the Portuguese captured Malacca, the Malacca Sultanate fell, and the tributary system was interrupted. The Portuguese use of matchlocks and other advanced firearms drew the attention of powers across East Asia; the Ming learned of Portuguese military technology through Chinese merchants resident in the southern seas and through envoys.
2. 1514–1520Outer ports of Guangzhou · Guangdong ProvinceFrom the ninth year of Zhengde, Portuguese merchant ships successively anchored and traded at the outer ports of Guangzhou; the matchlocks they carried drew the attention of Ming soldiers and civilians. Ming authorities began assessing their military value, accumulating preliminary knowledge and sample sources for later domestic imitation of the bird gun.