Gunpowder has affected warfare around the world in many different ways, affecting the way battles were fought and borders were drawn since its invention in the Middle Age. Gunpowder, one of several low-explosive mixtures used as thrust charges in firearms and as blasting agents in mines. The first explosive of this type was black powder, made from a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur and charcoal. When prepared in approximately the correct proportions, it burns immediately when ignited and produces gaseous and solid products, the latter appearing mainly as neutral smoke. In a tight space such as the slide of a gun, the accumulated gas can be used to push a missile such as a bullet or artillery shell. Black powder is relatively insensitive to impact and friction and must be ignited by a flame or heat. (“Gunpowder.” Britannica Academic).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Black powder is believed to have originated in China, where it was used in fireworks and signals in the 10th century. Between the 10th and 12th centuries, the Chinese developed the huo qiang ("fire lance"), a short-range proto-cannon that channeled the explosive power of gunpowder through a barrel initially, a bamboo tube . When ignited, projectiles such as arrows or pieces of metal were ejected with force, accompanied by an impressive jet of flame. By the end of the 13th century, the Chinese were using real firearms, made of brass or iron. to the West in 1304, when the Arabs produced an iron-reinforced bamboo tube that used a charge of black powder to fire an arrow. Black powder was adopted for use in firearms in Europe from the 14th century, but was not used for peaceful purposes, e.g. mining and road building, until the end of the 17th century. It remained a useful explosive for breaking up coal and rock deposits until the early 20th century, when it was gradually replaced by dynamite for most mining applications. (“Gunpowder.” Britannica Academic). Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the ruling Sung dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country tormented the Chinese throughout this period. The Mongols were the first to be subjected to the flying shot of an arrow. attached with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and propelled itself through enemy lines. Other gunpowder weapons were invented by the Chinese and perfected against the Mongols over the following centuries, including the first cannons and grenades (Heather Whipps, history). remained a monopoly of the Chinese until the 13th century, when science was transmitted along the ancient silk trade route to Europe and the Islamic world, where it became a deciding factor in many battles of the Middle Ages (Heather Whipps, history). By 1350, simple powder cannons were familiar in the English and French armies, who used the technology against each other during the Hundred Years' War. (Heather Whipps, history) The Hundred Years' War, a periodic struggle between England and France in the 14th and 15th centuries. over a series of disputes, including the question of actual succession to the French crown. The struggle involved several generations of English and French claimants to the crown and actually lasted over 100 years. By convention, it is said that it began in 1337 and ended.