We are very familiar with both things, the steam engine and gunpowder. Has anyone ever thought about the question: Which of Watt's steam engines or the gunpowder invented by Chinese had a greater impact on the course of world history?
On the reputation, on the status, many people's first feeling should be that the steam engine has a greater impact. After all, the steam engine represents the Industrial Revolution. In the impression of many people, the Industrial Revolution is one of the most important historical events in human history.
From an early age we learned the story of watts and steam engines. The textbook says that Watt noticed as a child that the water could lift the lid of the pot when it was boiled, and when he grew up, he invented the steam engine.
Later, we learned that the story was fake, and we didn't know who made it up in order to give credit to the British. In fact, the steam engine existed before Watt was born, and there was no need for Watt to invent it, Watt just improved the steam engine.
Of course, this did not hinder the influence of watts and improved steam engines. As the most important representative of the British Industrial Revolution, Watt's reputation and status are close to Newton's, and almost everyone in the world knows it.
As one of the "Four Great Inventions" of ancient China, gunpowder has also entered history textbooks in China, and everyone learns it from an early age. But gunpowder was far inferior to that of the steam engine.
So, which of the improved steam engines or gunpowder has a greater impact on the course of world history?
Of course, gunpowder had a greater impact on world history.
1. There are many derivatives of gunpowder, which directly changes the form of human warfare.
The writings of Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty both have records of the method of making gunpowder. In the last years of the Tang Dynasty, gunpowder had already begun to be used in warfare. From the end of the Tang Dynasty to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Chinese invented many firearms, including fire bolts, muskets, rockets, mines, thunderbolts, artillery and so on. These things have directly brought mankind from the era of cold weapons to the era of hot weapons.
The Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty were all equipped with firearms on a large scale, especially in the Ming Dynasty, where one-tenth of the troops were equipped with firearms in the early Ming Dynasty, and one-third of the troops were already equipped with firearms during the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was the most advanced country in the world at that time, which was equipped with the most firearms, and was called the world's first "gunpowder empire" by European sinologists.
In the 13th century, during the Mongol Conquest of the West, gunpowder and artillery were brought to Arabia, and a hundred years later, they spread to Europe through Arabia.
2. Firearms eliminated feudal society, ended the Middle Ages, and brought Europe into modern times.
Gunpowder is used dual-use in China. But when it was introduced to Europe, it was introduced in the form of weapons. Therefore, it is only used as a weapon in Europe.
At that time, Europe was in a state of division, which was equivalent to China's Spring and Autumn Warring States Period, with frequent wars, and in order not to be destroyed, countries could only desperately strengthen themselves and strengthen their military strength. As a result, countries have invested heavily in the introduction and research of gunpowder and firearms, which have developed tremendously in Europe.
Less than a hundred years after gunpowder and firearms were introduced to Europe, Europeans developed more advanced giant artillery, which could collapse the city walls with a few cannons. Compared with China, the walls of Europe are relatively thin, only about two meters. Chinese city walls are generally more than ten meters thick.
In the face of artillery, the castles of the feudal nobles were vulnerable, the monarchs of the great powers could strengthen the centralization of power with firearms, and the small countries could easily be annexed by the big powers. Firearms made an important contribution to the end of the European Middle Ages. Since then, Europe has begun to make great strides towards modern society.
3. Firearms opened the prelude to modern history.
It can be said that from the day firearms were invented, the ancient history of mankind was destined to end, and it was about to end, and the modern history was about to come. It is even more appropriate to make the invention of gunpowder and firearms a sign of the opening of modern history than the discovery of the Americas by Cobrien.
It is also reasonable to regard the era of cold weapons as ancient times and the era of hot weapons as modern times.
In contrast, Watt's improved steam engine only appeared at the end of the 18th century, almost a thousand years later than the emergence of gunpowder and firearms. Before the advent of the watt steam engine, Europe had long since ended the Middle Ages and entered modern society and capitalist society, and the steam engine was nothing more than the product of capitalist large-scale production, the inevitable product of modern society.
It can be said that without gunpowder and firearms, there would be no modern society, and without modern society, there would be no steam engine. Gunpowder is the "father of modern times", and the steam engine is the "son of modern times". The two are grandchildren. Obviously, gunpowder has had a greater impact on human history.
If the steam engine is the symbol of the Industrial Revolution, gunpowder firearms are the symbol of the war revolution. The Industrial Revolution was the first to take place in Britain, and the Agricultural Revolution and the War Revolution were the first to break out in China. Gunpowder also played a far greater role in propelling mankind into modern history than all european science and technology and inventions.
You can also say your own opinion.