THIS is with reference to the report: ‘Here we go round the roundabout’ (Sept 1). The page carries pictures of different monuments established as landmarks at various roundabouts of the metropolis.

An old piece of cannon is also placed on one roundabout. According to the report, the KDA while doing some excavation for laying water pipelines in the Saddar area found this very old cannon.

What I am surprised was the statement which says that the cannon dates back to the era of Muhammad bin Qasim and Raja Dahir. I would like to add here the cannon was among the earliest form of gunpowder artillery first used in China but that was much after the era of Muhammad bin Qasim.

The first cannon was used in Europe in Iberia (Spain) during the 13th century wars between Muslims and Christians. Their use was also first documented in the Middle East around this time.

English cannons first used during the Hundred Years War in 1346. In India, it was Emperor Babar (1526) who brought and used effectively the cannons against the forces led by Delhi King Ibrahim Lodhi at the battlefield of Panipat.

Muhammad bin Qasim attacked Sindh in AD 711 - 712. During those days the most advanced piece of artillery was catapult. The Arabs had edge over their adversaries as they brought with them catapults. These sedge machines destroyed storing forts of Raja Dahir.

In my opinion, the cannon unearthed by the KDA was an artillery piece left either by the British army or the same belonged to their predecessors, the Mirs who used to keep a small force with few rusty cannons in the mud fort of Manora which obviously did not deter the British who took over control of Karachi in 1839 without firing a gunshot.

MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi

Gunpowder

THIS is with reference to the feature by Shazia Hassan on Karachi roundabouts (Sept1). The caption to a picture showing a gun says it belonged to the era of Raja Dahir and Mohammad bin Qasim. Heavens! They lived in the 8th century AD.

Gunpowder was invented by the Chinese in about the ninth century, and Temujin alias Changez Khan used it in its conquests.

But they were used in wooden missiles, not in guns. Firearms and guns were latter-day developments. The first time guns came to the subcontinent was in the 16th-century, when Babar, founder of the Mughal empire, used them in the first battle of Panipat (1526).

RIZWAN YASSIN
Karachi