Java arquebus: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Long arquebus or musket from Java}}

[[File:Indonesian matchlock 19th century.jpg|thumb|300x300px|19th century [[Indonesia]]n matchlock, this weapon is smaller and shorter than the Java arquebus. ]]

A '''Java arquebus''' ([[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] and [[Malaysian language|Malaysian]]: ''Bedil Jawa'') refersis toa long-barreled early [[firearm]] from the [[Nusantara (archipelago)|Nusantara archipelago]], dating back to the early 16th century. The weapon was used by Javanese armies, albeit in low number compared to total fighting men,<ref>{{Cite book |editor-last=Tarling |editor-first=Nicholas |title=The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia: Volume One, From Early Times to c. 1800 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1992 |isbn=0521355052}}</ref>{{Rp|387}} before the arrival of [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] explorers ([[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] and [[Spaniards]]) in the 16th century. In historical records, the weapon may be classified as [[arquebus]] or [[musket]].<ref group="Note">Musket originally refers to a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating heavy armor (see Arnold, 2001, ''The Renaissance at War'', p. 75-7875–78). Java arquebus is larger than ordinary arquebus and has good penetration ability.</ref>

== Etymology ==

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=== Malay peninsula ===

The Portuguese found various gunpowder weapons after the [[Capture of Malacca (1511)|1511 conquest of Malacca]]. It is known that the Malays of Malacca obtained arms from Java.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Crawfurd|first=John|url=https://archive.org/details/adescriptivedic00crawgoog/page/n8/mode/2up?q=|title=A Descriptive Dictionary of the Indian Islands and Adjacent Countries|publisher=Bradbury and Evans|year=1856}}</ref>{{Rp|21–22}} Despite having a lot of artillery and firearms, the weapons were mostly and mainly purchased from the Javanese and Gujarati, where the Javanese and Gujarati were the operators of the weapons. In the early 16th century, prior to the Portuguese arrival, the Malays were a people who lacked firearms. The Malay chronicle, ''[[Sejarah Melayu]]'', mentioned that in 1509 they do not understand “why bullets killed”, indicating their unfamiliarity with using firearms in battle, if not in ceremony.<ref name=":12">Charney, Michael (2012). Iberians and Southeast Asians at War: the Violent First Encounter at Melaka in 1511 and After. In ''Waffen Wissen Wandel: Anpassung und Lernen in transkulturellen Erstkonflikten''. Hamburger Edition.</ref>{{Rp|3}} ''Lendas da India'' by [[Gaspar Correia]] and ''Asia Portuguesa'' by [[Manuel de Faria e Sousa|Manuel de Faria y Sousa]] confirmed ''Sejarah Melayu''<nowiki/>'s account. Both recorded a similar story, although not as spectacular as described in ''Sejarah Melayu''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Koek |first=E. |date=1886 |title=Portuguese History of Malacca |url=https://archive.org/details/portuguese-history-of-malacca/page/n1/mode/2up |journal=Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society |volume=17 |pages=117–149}}</ref>{{Rp|120–121}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Pintado |first=M.J. |title=Portuguese Documents on Malacca: 1509–1511 |year=1993 |publisher=National Archives of Malaysia |___location= |isbn=9789679120257 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r6suAQAAIAAJ }}</ref>{{Rp|43}}

Wan Mohd Dasuki Wan Hasbullah explained several facts about the existence of gunpowder weapons in Malacca and other Malay states before the arrival of the Portuguese:<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hasbullah|first=Wan Mohd Dasuki Wan|date=2020|title=Senjata Api Alam Melayu|publisher=Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka|pages=}}</ref>{{Rp|97–98}}

# No evidence showed that guns, cannons, and gunpowder are made in Malay states.

# No evidence showed that guns were ever used by the Malacca Sultanate before the Portuguese attack, even from Malay sources themselves.

# Based on the majority of cannons reported by the Portuguese, the Malays preferred small artillery.

[[File:Toeschouwers kijken naar de Baris Bedil op Bali, KITLV 117158.tiff|thumb|A ''Baris Bedil'' (gun dance) performance in Bali, Indonesia.]]

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They are also used when the Portuguese were withdrawing in the first attack:<ref name=":5" />{{rp|108}}

<blockquote>When the Moors perceived that they were withdrawing, they began to open fire with large matchlocks, arrows, and [[Blow tube|blowing-tubes]], and wounded some of our men, yet with all the haste they made Afonso Dalboquerque ordered the men to carry off with them fifty large [[Bombard (weapon)|bombards]]<ref group="Note">Bombard is a type of short, large calibre cannon. The Malays of Malacca has bombards which threw leaden shot as large as an ''espera'' — a large old kind of artillery. See {{harvnb|Birch, |1875: |p=121}}.</ref> that had been captured in the stockades upon the bridge</blockquote>

[[Joao de Barros]] described a scene of the conquest in ''Da Asia'':<ref>{{Cite book|last=De Barros|first=João|title=Primeira decada da Asia|year=1552|___location=Lisboa}}</ref><ref name=":2" />{{rp|22}}

<blockquote>As soon as the junk had passed the sand-bank and had come to an anchor, a short way from the bridge, the Moorish artillery opened a fire on her. Some guns discharged leadballs at intervals, which passed through both sides of the vessel, doing much execution among the crew. In the heat of the action Antonio d'Abreu, the commander, was struck in the cheek from a [[Flintlock|fusil]] (''espingardão''), carrying off the greater number of his teeth.</blockquote>

The matchlocks that shoot through both sides of their vessel, had very long barrel and were 18&nbsp;mm in caliber.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/fine-malay-matchlock-musket|title=Fine Malay matchlock musket {{!}} Mandarin Mansion|website=www.mandarinmansion.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref>

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[[File:Vietnam matchlock of Qing period.jpg|thumb|upright|Jiaozhi arquebus of 1739. Note the simple mechanism.]]

[[Đại Việt]] was considered by the Ming to have produced particularly advanced matchlocks during the 16–17th century, surpassing even Ottoman, Japanese, and European firearms. European observers of the [[Lê–Mạc War]] and later [[Trịnh–Nguyễn War]] also noted the proficiency of matchlock making by the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese matchlock was said to have been able to pierce several layers of iron armour, kill two to five men in one shot, yet also fire quietly for a weapon of its caliber. The Chinese called this weapon Jiao Chong (交銃, lit. Jiaozhi Arquebus), and noted its similarity to Zhua Wa Chong/Java arquebus.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=调元 (Tiaoyuan) |first=李 (Li) |url=https://ctext.org/wiki.pl?if=en&chapter=902098&remap=gb |title=南越笔记 (South Vietnamese Notes) |year=1777 |pages=268–269 |via=Chinese Text Project}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last=東洋學 硏究所 (Institute of Oriental Studies) |title=漢韓大辭典 (Chinese-Korean Dictionary) |publisher=檀國大學教出版部 (Dankook University Department of Education and Publication) |year=1999 |isbn=9788970922430 |pages=45 |quote=漢,趙曄《吳越春秋,王使公子光傳》以刺王僚,貫甲達背./清,李調元《南越筆記,粵人善鳥槍》其曰爪哇銃者,形如强弩,以繩懸絡臂上,遇敵萬銃齊發,貫甲數重. .《晉書,李歆傳》士業聞,引兵還,爲遜所逼,士業親貫甲先登,大敗之.}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Bozhong |first=Li |url=https://archive.org/details/li_bozhong_the-gun-and-the-ledger/page/141/mode/2up |title=火槍與帳簿：早期經濟全球化時代的中國與東亞世界 (The Gun and the Ledger: China and the East Asian World in the Age of Early Economic Globalization) |publisher=三 聯聯書書店店 (Sanlian Bookstore) |year=2017 |isbn=978-7-108-05674-0 |___location=Beijing |pages=141 |quote=在明末,安南人開發出了一種性能優良的火繩槍,中國人稱之為「交銃」(意即交趾火銃)。有人認為這種交銃在威力及性能等方面都優越於西方和日本的「鳥銃」及「魯密銃」。明清之際人劉獻廷說:「交趾......善火攻,交槍為天下最。」屈大均則說:「有交槍者,其曰爪哇銃者,形如強弩,以繩懸絡肩上,遇敵萬銃齊發,貫甲數重。」}}</ref><ref group="Note">It is to be noted that theThe Vietnamese (Jiaozhi) arquebus may refer to several kind of matchlock weapon: Arquebus in the model of [[istinggar]], arquebus with bipod under the barrel, arquebus with tripod and swivel mount, and [[jingal]]-styled arquebus. See [[Jiaozhi arquebus]].</ref>

== See also ==

<div style="float:right;">{{Portal|left=yes|Indonesia|Malaysia|Vietnam}}</div>

{{Clear|left}}

* [[Bedil (term)|Bedil]]

* [[Bedil tombak]]