Roughly a century after firearms were invented by the Arabs, the Malays began making guns. Evidence of these activities were documented by W Linehan in his paper entitled Some Discoveries on the Tembeling. On the banks of the Tembeling river in peninsula Malaysia he found molds that were used to cast cannons in the 13th or 14th century.
According to the conqueror of Malacca,Alfonso d'Albuquerque, Malaccan gun foundries were as good as those in Germany; This could mean they were better than Portuguese ones but the most powerful guns in those days were made by the Ottoman Turks. When the Portuguese defeated Malacca, they found thousands of cannons including an extraordinarily large one which Alfonso sent to his Hindu ally the Zamorin of Calicut.
Guns produced by Malay kigdoms were of varied quality. The most powerful ones were no doubt made by the wealthiest sultanates. The best Malay cannons had no problem blasting the best European ships out of the water ; for instance the Dutch East Indies Company lost a battleship when they attacked Makassar in 1667 and another one in the 18th century when they attacked a Bugis stronghold in Bintan. Guns made by Makassar were of such high quality they were demanded by the Dutch as part of war reparation payments (even though the war was started by the Dutch).
This cannon was made in 1623 by a Malay kingdom,Singora in what is now southern Thailand. The Siamese conquered Singora in 1687 and used this cannon against the Annamese and Burmese. In 1766 the Burmese overran the Siamese capital Ayuthiya and took the gun to Burma. It was deployed by the Burmese in their three wars against the British.
In 1887 the British defeated the Burmese and brought this cannon to London where it remains to this day.
Another southern Thai Malay kingdom that made excellent guns was Pattani.In 1571 they completed the casting of two cannons measuring 22ft 7 in. These guns were instrumental in keeping Pattani victorious against numerous Siamese attacks
for over two hundred years. Pattani was finally defeated by Siam in 1786 and the biggest Pattani guns were taken to Bangkok.One of these cannons,named Seri Negeri fell into the sea while it was being shipped from Pattani.The other one,named Seri Patani is now on display at the Thai Ministry of Defense.
According to the conqueror of Malacca,Alfonso d'Albuquerque, Malaccan gun foundries were as good as those in Germany; This could mean they were better than Portuguese ones but the most powerful guns in those days were made by the Ottoman Turks. When the Portuguese defeated Malacca, they found thousands of cannons including an extraordinarily large one which Alfonso sent to his Hindu ally the Zamorin of Calicut.
Guns produced by Malay kigdoms were of varied quality. The most powerful ones were no doubt made by the wealthiest sultanates. The best Malay cannons had no problem blasting the best European ships out of the water ; for instance the Dutch East Indies Company lost a battleship when they attacked Makassar in 1667 and another one in the 18th century when they attacked a Bugis stronghold in Bintan. Guns made by Makassar were of such high quality they were demanded by the Dutch as part of war reparation payments (even though the war was started by the Dutch).
This cannon was made in 1623 by a Malay kingdom,Singora in what is now southern Thailand. The Siamese conquered Singora in 1687 and used this cannon against the Annamese and Burmese. In 1766 the Burmese overran the Siamese capital Ayuthiya and took the gun to Burma. It was deployed by the Burmese in their three wars against the British.
In 1887 the British defeated the Burmese and brought this cannon to London where it remains to this day.
Another southern Thai Malay kingdom that made excellent guns was Pattani.In 1571 they completed the casting of two cannons measuring 22ft 7 in. These guns were instrumental in keeping Pattani victorious against numerous Siamese attacks
for over two hundred years. Pattani was finally defeated by Siam in 1786 and the biggest Pattani guns were taken to Bangkok.One of these cannons,named Seri Negeri fell into the sea while it was being shipped from Pattani.The other one,named Seri Patani is now on display at the Thai Ministry of Defense.
