During the Song Dynasty, a type of weapon similar to biochemical weapons emerged. Not only could it explode, but it also emitted toxic smoke, causing significant damage.
According to research, gunpowder officially appeared during the Tang Dynasty (late 9th century), developed by ancient alchemists. From the Warring States period to the early Han Dynasty, emperors and nobles in China were obsessed with the dream of immortality, leading to the emergence of several alchemists and Taoists who continuously researched elixirs. In the process of concocting these elixirs, they inadvertently invented the formula for gunpowder.
During the Song Dynasty, there was a terrifying biochemical weapon called “Toxic Poison Arrow.” (Illustrative image).
However, since gunpowder could not solve the problem of immortality and was highly flammable, alchemists were not particularly interested in it. The formula for making gunpowder was transferred from alchemists to military strategists, becoming actual gunpowder – one of the four great inventions of ancient China.
Before the invention of gunpowder, firepower attacks were a common method used by military strategists. At that time, to attack with firepower, a type of weapon called rockets was used, launching flaming arrows to incinerate the enemy’s strategic positions. However, with the advent of gunpowder, firepower attacks were elevated to a new level.
During the Tang Dynasty, the use of compressed gunpowder that could be ignited and thrown into enemy positions proved to be highly effective. This is also considered the “first hot weapon” in the world. By the time of the Song Dynasty, this thermal weapon had rapidly developed and become popular. The government even established a department specifically for producing weapons from gunpowder. Among these, a type of weapon similar to biochemical weapons emerged.
The ancient military book “Essentials of Martial Arts” from the Northern Song Dynasty recorded a type of weapon called “Toxic Poison Arrow”, detailing the production methods of this biochemical weapon. It mentioned that this weapon not only contained gunpowder but also highly toxic substances. This weapon was meticulously crafted, carefully calculated to ensure it only exploded when thrown into enemy territory.
The goal of this weapon was to create a loud noise, to explode quickly and powerfully enough to scare horses into a frenzy. At the same time, the poison within would also ignite, producing toxic smoke. As the toxic smoke spread, anyone inhaling it, including horses, would be poisoned immediately, resulting in symptoms ranging from nosebleeds and paralysis in limbs to death.
However, even with such powerful biochemical weapons, due to the national policy that prioritized culture over military strength, the Song Dynasty ultimately could not revive itself. The national strength weakened, lacking military power for defense, and eventually fell to the Jin Dynasty.
