Divine Invincible Great General Cannon

Divine Invincible Great General Cannon, also known as "Weiyuan General Cannon" (simplified Chinese: 神威无敌大将军炮; traditional Chinese: 神威無敵大將軍炮), was a type of long-barreled heavy artillery in the Qing Dynasty,[3] built by Ferdinand Verbiest,[4] a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China, in the 15th year of Kangxi (1676).[5]

Divine Invincible Great General Cannon
Chinese神威无敌大将军炮
National originQing dynasty
Introduction1676[1]
FounderNan Huairen[2]
Named byKangxi Emperor
Used byQing army
WarsSino-Russian border conflicts
StatusDecommissioned

Divine Invincible Great General Cannon was named by the Kangxi Emperor.[6] The Divine Invincible Great General Cannon was made of bronze,[7] there were 52 cannons in total.[8]

Specifications

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Divine Invincible Great General Cannon weighed from 2,000 catty to 3,000 catty,[9] and is from 7 Chinese feet 3 Chinese inches to 8 Chinese feet long.[10]

Usage

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In 1685, the Qing army used eight Divine Invincible Great General Cannons against the invading Russian army,[11] and these cannons played an important role in the Battle of Yaksa (雅克萨战役).[12] The Qing Empire won the battle and signed the Treaty of Nerchinsk with the Tsardom of Russia.[13]

Discovery

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In May 1975, the workers of Qiqihar Jianhua Machinery Factory (齐齐哈尔建华机械厂) found a Divine Invincible Great General Cannon used by the Qing army in the Battle of Yaksa.[14]

References

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  1. Liu Xu (1989). Ancient Chinese Artillery History. Shanghai People's Publishing House. pp. 87–. ISBN 978-7-208-00061-2.
  2. Qing History Research Collection. China Renmin University Press. 1986. pp. 95–.
  3. Liu Huawei (1 August 2013). A Brief Introduction to Chinese Culture. Economic Science Press. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-7-5141-3317-2.
  4. "What is the merit and demerit of the Yaksa Victory?". Sina. Oct 14, 2014.
  5. "Why did the Qing army like to use tiger shields so much?". NetEase News. Nov 20, 2017.
  6. General Military History of China: Pre-Qing Military History. Military Science Press. 1998. pp. 435–.
  7. Zhuang Kaige (1 January 2018). Subject Engraving. Zhejiang Photography Publishing House. pp. 60–. ISBN 978-7-5514-1917-8.
  8. General History of Chinese Military. Military Science Press. 1998. pp. 371–.
  9. Journal of Beijing Normal University (Social Sciences), Issues 25-29. Beijing Normal University. 1978. pp. 76–.
  10. Historical Monthly. Historical Monthly Magazine Agency. 1995. pp. 101–.
  11. Wang Zhaochun (1991). Chinese Firearms History. Military Science Press. pp. 262–. ISBN 978-7-80021-304-5.
  12. Palace Museum Journal, Issues 1-4. Cultural Relics Press. 1986. pp. 53–.
  13. Zhang Jie (2007). Manchu Essentials. China Social Sciences Press. pp. 102–. ISBN 978-7-5004-6013-8.
  14. Wang Zhaochun (2007). Ancient Chinese Military Engineering and Technology History (Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties). Shanxi Education Press. pp. 498–. ISBN 978-7-5440-2797-7.