Java arquebus: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:54, 10 February 2020

Revision as of 12:23, 11 February 2020

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

'''Java arquebus''' refer to long primitive [[firearm]] from [[Nusantara]] archipelago, dating back to the last quarter of 15th century. The weapon was used by local armies, albeit in low number, before the arrival of [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] explorers ([[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] and [[Spaniards|Spaniard]]) in the 16th century. In historical records the weapon may be classified as [[arquebus]] or [[musket]].

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"... Majapahit troops shooting their firearms (''bedil''=firearm), while Giri troops fell dead because they couldn't withstand being pierced by bullets (''mimis''=ball bullet)..."

- Serat Darmagandhul</blockquote>

- Serat Darmagandhul</blockquote>This type of arquebus have similarity to the Vietnamese arquebus of the 17th century. The weapon is very long, may reach 2.2 m in length, and had its own folding bipod.<ref name=":0" /> Tome Pires' 1515 account tells the army of Gusti Pati, viceroy of Batara Brawijaya, numbered 200,000 men, 2,000 of which are horsemen and 4,000 musketeers.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Pires|first=Tome|title=Suma Oriental|publisher=The Hakluyt Society|isbn=9784000085052}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> Duarte Barbosa ca. 1510 said that the inhabitants of Java are great masters in casting artillery and very good artillerymen. They make many one-pounder cannons (cetbang or [[Lantaka|rentaka]]), long muskets, and other fire-works. Every place are considered excellent in casting artillery, and in the knowledge of using it.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barosa|first=Duarte|title=A Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar in the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century|publisher=The Hakluyt Society|year=1866}}</ref>

[[File:Indonesian matchlock firing mechanism.jpg|thumb|Detail of the firing mechanism.]]

- Serat Darmagandhul</blockquote>This type of arquebus have similarity to the Vietnamese arquebus of the 17th century. The weapon is very long, may reach 2.2 m in length, and had its own folding bipod.<ref name=":0" /> Tome Pires' 1515 account tells the army of Gusti Pati, viceroy of Batara Brawijaya, numbered 200,000 men, 2,000 of which are horsemen and 4,000 musketeers.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Pires|first=Tome|title=Suma Oriental|publisher=The Hakluyt Society|isbn=9784000085052}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> Duarte Barbosa ca. 1510 said that the inhabitants of Java are great masters in casting artillery and very good artillerymen. They make many one-pounder cannons (cetbang or [[Lantaka|rentaka]]), long muskets, and other fire-works. Every place are considered excellent in casting artillery, and in the knowledge of using it.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barosa|first=Duarte|title=A Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar in the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century|publisher=The Hakluyt Society|year=1866}}</ref>

=== Malay peninsula ===

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Historian Fernão Lopes de Castanheda mentions matchlocks (espingardao), he says that they threw balls, some of stone, and some of iron covered with lead.<ref>{{Cite book|last=de Castanheda|first=Fernão Lopes|title=História do descobrimento & conquista da India pelos portugueses|publisher=|year=1552|isbn=|___location=Coimbra|pages=}}</ref> The son of [[Afonso de Albuquerque]] mentioned the armament of Malacca: There are large matchlocks, poisoned blowing tubes, bows, arrows, armour-plated dresses, Javanese lances, and other sorts of weapons.<ref>{{Cite book|last=The son of Afonso de Albuquerque|first=|title=Comentários de Afonso de Albuquerque|publisher=|year=1557|isbn=|___location=Lisboa|pages=}}</ref>

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

=== Indochina ===