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[[Image:0001 Woolwich Barracks.jpg|1000px|Woolwich Barracks]]
THE BARRACKS OF THE ROYAL ARSENAL WOOLWICH
{{Template:Origin|text=This article describes some famous artillery pieces with connections to the era of the British in India.<br>The information and images have been provided by Elizabeth Hancox, FIBIS member and acknowledged expert on guns.}}
== The Celebrated Bhurtpore Gun at Woolwich==
[[Image:0003 Bhurtpore Gun.jpg|700px|Bhurtpore gun]] [[Image:0004 Bhurtpore Gun.jpg|300px|right250px|Bhurtpore gun]] Named '''"The Father of Victory"''', this gun captured during the [[Siege of Bhurtpore 1826|Siege of Bhurtpore]] in 1826, stands outside the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Artillery_Barracks Royal Artillery Barracks] at Woolwich. It is 16ft 4ins long and weighs about 17.5 tons; the calibre is 8ins. Tradition has maintained that the precious metals enter into its composition; but analysis of metal taken from three places dispelled this idea. The metal is variable; it contains 9% to 15% lead, with traces of arsenic and antimony; the other components are 3% to 5% of tin, and the remainder copper. It is remarkable, however, that the exterior of the breech is of a totally different metal from the body of the gun, being in fact brass, containing nearly 37% of zinc, and has been cast over the body of the gun subsequently to the first completion of it, as one of the ornamental scrolls is partly covered by it.
Named '''"The Father of Victory"''' this gun, captured during the [[Siege of Bhurtpore 1826|Siege of Bhurtpore]] in 1826, stands outside the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Artillery_Barracks Royal Artillery Barracks] at Woolwich. It is 16ft 4ins long and weighs about 17.5 tons; the calibre is 8ins. Tradition has maintained that precious metals were included in its composition; but analysis of metal taken from three places dispelled this idea. The metal is variable; it contains 9% to 15% lead, with traces of arsenic and antimony; the other components are 3% to 5% of tin, and the remainder copper. It is remarkable, however, that the exterior of the breech is of a totally different metal from the body of the gun, being in fact brass, containing nearly 37% of zinc, and has been cast over the body of the gun subsequently to the first completion of it, as one of the ornamental scrolls is partly covered by it.
This trophy was confided to the two corps of [[Royal Artillery]] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Engineers Royal Engineers] by His Majesty George IV in 1828. It bears the following inscriptions:
|-
|''‘The Father of Victory’''
|title borne by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Alam_II Shah Alam ] also
|-
|''‘The Reviver of Religion’''
| title peculiar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AurangzebAurangzeb]
|-
|''‘Muhammad, Aurangzeb, Alamgir'''
''‘The gun, the aid of Ali’''<br>
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AliAli], the hero-saint of the Indian Mohammedans, invoked by them in every difficulty, and especially in battle.<br> His titles are: ‘The victorious Lion of God,’ ‘The Remover of Difficulties<br>
Under the left trunnion<br>
''According to the weights of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Jahan Shah Jehan]''<br>
''The Ball, 30 sirs''<br>
''Powder, 13 sirs''<br>
The figures LXXII are obviously the work of some European, and are in no way connected with the writing.<br>
In endeavouring to decide the history of the gun, the first thing which demands attention is the circumstance that at the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascabel_(artillery) cascabelcascable] there is the design of a face, intended apparently to represent either the sun or moon. This points strongly to the presumption that the cannon belonged to one of the dynasties known in India as the ‘Surya bunsi’ (Children of the Sun) or ‘Chandra bunsi’ (Children of the Moon). Now Udaipur was a dynasty of the sun, and the surmise that this is the state from whence the gun came is strengthened by the fact that Sujjan Singh (inscription 1) does occur in the annals of that principality; but though the British Government several times interfered in the internal administration of the country they never conducted warlike operations against the chief; so it is concluded that in spite of the mark on the cascabel, the cannon was not captured in this state.
The names ‘Siwai’ and ‘Pirthi’ (inscription 2) are to be traced to the ‘Jaipur’ dynasty, but so far as my researches have extended I cannot find that this line of Chiefs belongs to either the ‘Children of the Sun’ or ‘Children of the Moon’; moreover, though on more than one occasion the British authorities have taken steps to secure good government in this state I have not succeeded in discovering any campaign of a nature likely to result in the capture and dispatch to England of a cannon of this description; so I dismiss ‘Jaipur’ from further consideration.
[[Image:0007Mulharrao.jpg|300px|]] [[Image:0008 Bronze howitzer.jpg|300px|]]
'''A bronze 6’’ howitzer late 18th century from Baroda''', it is mounted on a native carriage. Weight 3cwt. 34lbs; length of chamber 6.3 in; length of bore 7in. There are numerous implements attached to the brackets of the carriage.
This exceptional gun was captured by a British Force at [[Actions at Kurree|Khuree]] (modern Kadi) in Gujarat in 1802 during a campaign often seen as the beginning of the [[2nd Maratha War|second Anglo- Maratha War]]. Kanoji Rao, illegitimate brother of Anunt Rao, disputed his succession to the Gaikwar of Baroda. To back his own claim Khanoji enlisted the powerful support of his cousin Mulhar Rao who held the practically independent fiefdom of Kadi. Mulhar Rao raised an army of 32,000 men. In return for military assistance from the Company’s Bombay Army Anunt Rao promised territory and tax revenues to the East India Company. 6,000 British and Company troops attacked Mulhar Rao’s army and forced him to retreat. His fortress at Kadi, along with 58 guns, fell into British hands on 5th May 1802.
The Marathas developed some of the very best artillery encountered by the British. They were particularly noted for their technical innovation and the use of multi-purpose types. This gun is a hybrid mortar and howitzer. As a field Howitzer it would have fired explosive shell much like a contemporary 5.5 inch howitzer. But it was also capable of firing at even higher trajectories used by mortars in siege warfare. The carriage is stoutly built to withstand the shock of firing. One of the particularly unusual features is the plumb line within the decorative cupola, which ensured the gun was level, thus improving accuracy. Another is the iron spikes, stabilising the piece in preparation for subsequent high angle rounds.
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.
