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THE CELEBRATED ‘BHURTPORE GUN’ AT WOOLWICH
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{{Template:Origin|text=The information in this article has been provided by Elizabeth Hancox, FIBIS member and acknowledged expert on guns.}}
=== The Celebrated Bhurtpore Gun at Woolwich===
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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.
This trophy was confided to the two corps of Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, by His Majesty George IV. in 1828. It bears the following inscriptions: On the Chase. :<br>{| class="wikitable"|-|''‘The Father of Victory’''|title borne by Shah Alam also|-|''‘The Reviver of Religion’''| title peculiar to Aurangzeb|-|''‘Muhammad, Aurang-zebAurangzeb, Alamgir'''|Extolled, Throne adoring, AlamWorld subduing|-gir|''‘The warriorWarrior, the Victorious King’''The third line of the translation gives the three names of Aurang-zeb. Their verbal meaning is:‘Muhammad’ – Extolled‘Aurang-zeb’ –Throne –adoring‘Alam-gir’ -- World-subduing.‘The Reviver of Religion’ is a title peculiar to Aurang-zeb. The title of ‘Father of Victory’ was borne by Shah Alam also; the other |titles are common to all Mogul emperors.|}
On the Swell ‘Year of the Hejira 1087
‘The 20th of the Reign’
