OOC (out of character for those who are new): DB means 'double-blind' where we ask a question which actually occurred in our timeline (OTL) from the perspective of someone in another TL where this happened differently. Anyway, gunpowder was thought to have been accidentally developed by the Chinese while in the pursuit of the elixir of life. Obviously, the ramifications of not having gunpowder are huge, with colonialism and even the fall of the City of The World's Desire being all dependent on a few Chinese alchemists in the 9th century. Although nowadays, traditional gunpowder is not widely used having being replaced by smokeless gunpowder soon after the Industrial Revolution.
IC (in character):
I've wondered with the recent development of projectile-based weapons well after the Industrial Revolution if there was any way that such devastating weapons could be put into the hands of our bloodthirsty, near-genocidal ancestors?
A scientific study has claimed to have synthesised a compound that could have been made centuries ago, a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate (gunpowder) but many critics have asked, "Who in God's name would think to put these together during the most volatile period of human history?"
The interior of Africa is still a dark and hostile place, largely forgotten by the developed world, who have long renounced their expansive growing pains. Was this inevitable? After the loss of thousands in pointless expeditions of the Dark Continent, the Baghdad Conference (with all the major European & Middle Eastern powers as well as China) decided that conquering Africa was not in the interests of the civilisation since it was simply too costly in terms of money and lives as well as public opinion of course. Of course, native African civilisations are industrialising and are being major powers in their own right, such as the Sokoto Caliphate and the Zulu Empire - maybe because the Europeans, Arabs & Chinese decided to cut their losses and trade with the 'civilised savages' and let them keep their land. Now that I think of it, they only really have a presence on and near the coasts of South America and Africa, perhaps except for the more temperate zones.
Of course, city walls have been known to be near impenetrable and have saved countless cities from marauding armies and millions from slaughter. A popular Chinese proverb that "Walls are only built once" looks like it might be under threat, despite the standing and expansion of the Great Wall of China to make China impenetrable by all except God. I wonder just how much the world would be different if those scientists were correct, what if gunpowder compound was discovered centuries ago?
IC (in character):
I've wondered with the recent development of projectile-based weapons well after the Industrial Revolution if there was any way that such devastating weapons could be put into the hands of our bloodthirsty, near-genocidal ancestors?
A scientific study has claimed to have synthesised a compound that could have been made centuries ago, a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate (gunpowder) but many critics have asked, "Who in God's name would think to put these together during the most volatile period of human history?"
The interior of Africa is still a dark and hostile place, largely forgotten by the developed world, who have long renounced their expansive growing pains. Was this inevitable? After the loss of thousands in pointless expeditions of the Dark Continent, the Baghdad Conference (with all the major European & Middle Eastern powers as well as China) decided that conquering Africa was not in the interests of the civilisation since it was simply too costly in terms of money and lives as well as public opinion of course. Of course, native African civilisations are industrialising and are being major powers in their own right, such as the Sokoto Caliphate and the Zulu Empire - maybe because the Europeans, Arabs & Chinese decided to cut their losses and trade with the 'civilised savages' and let them keep their land. Now that I think of it, they only really have a presence on and near the coasts of South America and Africa, perhaps except for the more temperate zones.
Of course, city walls have been known to be near impenetrable and have saved countless cities from marauding armies and millions from slaughter. A popular Chinese proverb that "Walls are only built once" looks like it might be under threat, despite the standing and expansion of the Great Wall of China to make China impenetrable by all except God. I wonder just how much the world would be different if those scientists were correct, what if gunpowder compound was discovered centuries ago?
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