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Historic Guns of British India

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Two rectangular marks along the middle of the gun on both sides and the offset bore indicate that it was made using the cast-on construction. A separate inner mould was used for the bore and held in place by iron chaplets which remained embedded in the bronze after casting. This method of casting was first used in the 16th century, but was phased out in Europe by the late 18th century. However, it continued to be used by Indian states well into the 1830s. It may well have been for this reason that Arthur Wellesley, who was at Seringapatam in 1799, considered the quality of Tipu’s artillery to be inferior to those he later encountered in use by the Maratha army in 1803.
 
=== Cossipore Guns ===
 
'''IMAGES'''
 
Two views of the same presentation gun- one of a set given to Ranjit Singh- and recaptured by the British.
 
Bronze 9 pounder. D Presgrave, Cossipore (East India Company) 1838/39
 
Produced by the East India Company’s gun foundry at Cossipore near Calcutta. This cannon was one of a set intended for presentation to Maharaja Ranjit Singh by George Eden, Lord Auckland, and Governor General, on the conclusion of treaty negotiations in 1838. The guns were presented with 200 rounds of shot and shell intended for a planned Anglo-Sikh invasion of Afghanistan.
 
:''The salute was fired by the howitzers that G. has had made to present to Ranjeet. They are very handsome, ornamented more than our soldiers think becoming, but just what Ranjeet would like; there is the bright star of the Punjab, with Ranjeet’s profile on the gun and Captain E. Says that thousand of Sikhs have been to look at these guns, and all of them salaam to Ranjeet’s picture as if it were himself.''
 
:Emily Eden (Lord Auckland’s sister who accompanied him on his state visit to the Panjab) ‘Up the Country’; Letters from India Ch XXV, p 189
 
The guns were captured 7 years later in action at the [[Battle of Ferozeshah]], not far from [[Ferozepore]] where the guns were first presented.

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