Latest / The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Firepower: The Malay Fire Lance
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a rarely discussed aspect of Srivijaya's military arsenal: the early use of gunpowder weapons. Long before the famous Ming dynasty fleets, Southeast Asian polities were experimenting with saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal. Lucas explains the archaeological and textual evidence for the 'fire lance' — a bamboo tube filled with gunpowder and pellets, used as a flamethrower and proto-gun. He traces the likely transmission of saltpetre knowledge from Song China via the tribute system, and how Srivijayan shipwrights may have…
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