FIREARMS, INTRODUCTION OF
Teppo Denrai
Firearms were introduced to Japan by Portuguese castaways on the
island of Tanegashima, off Kyushu, in 1543. The Japanese may have had
some basic knowledge of explosive weapons before the Portuguese
arrived, but the introduction of European firearms marked the
beginning of widespread use of such weapons.
Portuguese harquebuses greatly impressed the daimyo Tanegashima
Tokitaka, who ordered his craftsmen to duplicate them. Many Japanese
warlords hastened to master the techniques for producing them. As
early as 1549 Oda Nobunaga bought 500 matchlocks from gunsmiths in
Kunitomo in Omi (now Shiga Prefecture) and established a firearms
brigade in his army. In the 1550s Takeda Shingen, lord of the
province of Kai (now Yamanashi Prefecture), also organized a firearms
unit.
By the late 16th century firearms (teppo) had become the most
important offensive weapon; perhaps a third of the daimyo armies of
the 1570s carried guns. Oda Nobunaga used his firearms units to
advantage in the Battle of Anegawa in 1570 and in the Battle of
Nagashino in 1575. Toyotomi Hideyoshi also supplied his troops with
firearms, which he used during his campaigns against the Shimazu
family of Kyushu in 1586 and against the Later Hojo family in the
Odawara Campaign in 1590.
The spread of firearms helped to stimulate industrial and commercial
activities by creating an increased demand for muskets, ammunition,
and other matériel. Also, the popularization of firearms, together
with the establishment of an armed infantry, largely recruited from
the peasantry, promoted social mobility. (Kodansha)
I Hope it helps!
Cepo
On Oct 21, 2006, at 2:18 PM, brentbovee2 wrote:
> hello all... this is my first time here and i already have a question.
> The style of gun that samurai first aquired was ,i think a matchlock
> but did it have a brand name- maker? (like winchester or anything like
> that) thanks for your time!;)
>
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