Cetbang

Cetbang (also known as bedil, warastra, or meriam coak) were cannons produced and used by the Majapahit Empire (1293–1527) and other kingdoms in the Indonesian archipelago. There are 2 main types of cetbang: the eastern-style cetbang which looks like a Chinese cannon and is loaded from the front, and the western-style cetbang which is shaped like a Turkish and Portuguese cannon, loaded from the back.Averoes, Muhammad (2020). Antara Cerita dan Sejarah: Meriam Cetbang Majapahit. ''Jurnal Sejarah'', 3(2), 89 - 100.

Etymology

The word "cetbang" is not found in old Javanese, it probably comes from the Chinese word ''chongtong'' (銃筒), which also influenced the Korean word 총통(''chongtong''). The term "meriam coak" is from the Betawi language, it means "hollow cannon", referring to the breech. It is also simply referred to as coak.

Cetbang in old Javanese is known as bedil. It is also called a warastra, which is synonymous with bedil. Warastra is an old Javanese word, it means magic arrow, powerful arrow, awesome arrow, or superior arrow.

In Java, the term for cannon is called bedil, but this term may refer to various types of firearms and gunpowder weapon, from small pistol to large siege guns. The term ''bedil'' comes from ''wedil'' (or ''wediyal'') and ''wediluppu'' (or ''wediyuppu'') in the Tamil language. In its original form, these words refer to gunpowder blast and saltpeter, respectively. But after being absorbed into ''bedil'' in the Malay language, and in a number of other cultures in the archipelago, that Tamil vocabulary is used to refer to all types of weapons that use gunpowder. In Javanese and Balinese the term ''bedil'' and ''bedhil'' is known, in Sundanese the term is ''bedil'', in Batak it is known as ''bodil'', in Makasarese, ''badili'', in Buginese, ''balili'', in Dayak language, ''badil'', in Tagalog, ''baril'', in Bisayan, ''bádil'', in Bikol languages, ''badil'', and Malay people call it ''badel'' or ''bedil''.

Description

There are 2 main types of cetbang:

Eastern-style cetbang

Its predecessors were brought by the Mongol-Chinese troops to Java, so they resembled Chinese cannons and hand cannons. Eastern-style cetbangs were mostly made of bronze and were front-loaded cannons. It fires arrow-like projectiles, but round bullets and co-viative projectilesA type of scatter bullet—when shot it spews fire, splinters and bullets, and can also be arrows. The characteristic of this projectile is that the bullet does not cover the entire bore of the barrel. Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 5: Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 7, Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 9 and 220. can also be used. These arrows can be solid-tipped without explosives, or with explosives and incendiary materials placed behind the tip. Near the rear, there is a combustion chamber or room, which refers to the bulging part near the rear of the gun, where the gunpowder is placed. The cetbang is mounted on a fixed mount, or as a hand cannon mounted on the end of a pole. There is a tube-like section on the back of the cannon. In the hand cannon type cetbang, this tube is used as a place to stick poles. The arrow-throwing cetbang would have been useful in naval combat, especially as a weapon used against ships (mounted under the bow gun shield or apilan), and also in a siege, because of its projectile ability to explode and as incendiary material.

Western-style cetbang

The western-style cetbang was derived from the Turkish prangi cannon that came to the archipelago after 1460 AD. Just like prangi, this cetbang is a breech-loading swivel gun made of bronze or iron, firing single rounds or scatter shots (a large number of small bullets). In order to achieve a high firing rate, 5 chambers can be alternately reloaded.

For the rear-loading cetbang, the smallest may be about 60 cm long, and the largest about 2.2 m. Their calibers range from 22 mm to 70 mm. They are light, mobile cannons, most of them can be carried and shot by one man, but they are not used like a bazooka because the high recoil force could break human bones. These gun are mounted on swivel yoke (called ''cagak''), the spike is fitted into holes or sockets in the bulwarks of a ship or the ramparts of a fort. A tiller of wood is inserted to the back of the cannon with rattan, to enable it to be trained and aimed.

Cetbang can be mounted as a fixed gun, swivel gun, or placed in a wheeled carriage. Small-sized cetbang can be easily installed on small vessels called penjajap and lancaran. This gun is used as an anti-personnel weapon, not anti-ship. In this age, even to the 17th century, the Nusantaran soldiers fought on a platform called ''balai'' (see the picture of a ship below) and perform boarding actions. Loaded with scatter shots (grapeshot, case shot, or nails and stones) and fired at close range, the cetbang would have been effective at this type of fighting.

History

Majapahit era (ca. 1300–1478)

Cannons were introduced to Majapahit when Kublai Khan's Chinese army under the leadership of Ike Mese sought to invade Java in 1293. ''History of Yuan'' mentioned that the Mongol used a weapon called 炮 (Pào) against Daha forces.Schlegel, Gustaaf (1902). "On the Invention and Use of Fire-Arms and Gunpowder in China, Prior to the Arrival of European". ''T'oung Pao''. 3: 1–11.Reid, Anthony (1993). ''Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680. Volume Two: Expansion and Crisis''. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. This weapon is interpreted differently by researchers, it may be a trebuchet that throws thunderclap bombs, firearms, cannons, or rockets. It is possible that the gunpowder weapons carried by the Mongol-Chinese troops amounted to more than 1 type.

Thomas Stamford Raffles wrote in ''The History of Java'' that in 1247 saka (1325 AD), cannons have been widely used in Java especially by the Majapahit. It is recorded that the small kingdoms in Java that sought the protection of Majapahit had to hand over their cannons to the Majapahit. Majapahit under ''Mahapatih'' (prime minister) Gajah Mada (in office 1331–1364) utilized gunpowder technology obtained from Yuan dynasty for use in the naval fleet. One of the earliest allusion to cannon and artillerymen in Java is from the year 1346.

The neighboring kingdom of Sunda was recorded using bedil during the battle of Bubat of 1357. Kidung Sunda canto 2 stanza 87–95 mentioned that the Sundanese had ''juru-modya ning bedil besar ing bahitra'' (aimer/operator of the big cannon on the ships) in the river near Bubat square. Majapahit troops situated close to the river were unlucky: The corpses could hardly be called corpses, they were maimed, torn apart in the most gruesome way, the arms and the heads were thrown away. The cannonballs were said to discharge like rain, which forced the Majapahit troops to retreat in the first part of the battle.

Ma Huan (Zheng He's translator) visited Java in 1413 and took notes about the local customs. His book, Yingya Shenlan, mentioned that cannons are fired in Javanese marriage ceremonies when the husband was escorting his new wife to the marital home to the sound of gongs, drums, and firecrackers.

Because of the close maritime relations of the Nusantara archipelago with the territory of west India, after 1460 new types of gunpowder weapons entered the archipelago through Arab intermediaries. This weapon seems to be cannon and gun of Ottoman tradition, for example the prangi, which is a breech-loading swivel gun.

Majapahit decline and the rise of Islam (1478–1600)

When the Portuguese first came to Malacca, they found a large colony of Javanese merchants under their own headmen; they were manufacturing their own cannon, which is deemed as important as sails in a ship.

De Barros and Faria e Sousa mention that with the fall of Malacca (1511), Albuquerque captured 3,000 out of 8,000 artillery. Among those, 2,000 were made from brass and the rest from iron, in the style of Portuguese ''berço'' (''berso''). All of the artillery had its proper complement of carriages which could not be rivaled even by Portugal. The cannons found were of various types: ''esmeril'' (1/4 to 1/2-pounder swivel gun, probably refers to ''cetbang'' or ''lantaka''), '' falconet'' (cast bronze swivel gun larger than the ''esmeril'', 1 to 2-pounder, probably refers to ''lela''), medium ''saker'' (long cannon or ''culverin'' between a six and a ten-pounder, probably refers to ''meriam''), and ''bombard'' (short, fat, and heavy cannon). The Malays also have 1 beautiful large cannon sent by the king of Calicut.

Despite having a lot of artillery and firearms, the weapons of Malacca were mostly and mainly purchased from the Javanese and Gujarati, where the Javanese and Gujarati were the operators of the weapons. In the early 16th century, before the Portuguese arrival, the Malays were a people who lacked firearms. The Malay chronicle, ''Sejarah Melayu'', mentioned that in 1509 they do not understand “why bullets killed”, indicating their unfamiliarity with using firearms in battle, if not in ceremony. As recorded in ''Sejarah Melayu'':

''Setelah datang ke Melaka, maka bertemu, ditembaknya dengan meriam. Maka segala orang Melaka pun hairan, terkejut mendengar bunyi meriam itu. Katanya, "Bunyi apa ini, seperti guruh ini?". Maka meriam itu pun datanglah mengenai orang Melaka, ada yang putus lehernya, ada yang putus tangannya, ada yang panggal pahanya. Maka bertambahlah hairannya orang Melaka melihat fi'il bedil itu. Katanya: "Apa namanya senjata yang bulat itu maka dengan tajamnya maka ia membunuh?"''

After (the Portuguese) came to Malacca, then met (each other), they shot (the city) with cannon. So all the people of Malacca were surprised, shocked to hear the sound of the cannon. They said, "What is this sound, like thunder?". Then the cannon came about the people of Malacca, some lost their necks, some lost their arms, some lost their thighs. The people of Malacca were even more astonished to see the effect of the gun. They said: "What is this weapon called that is round, yet is sharp enough to kill?"

''Asia Portuguesa'' by Manuel de Faria y Sousa recorded a similar story, although not as spectacular as described in ''Sejarah Melayu''. The '' Epic of Hang Tuah'' narrates a Malaccan expedition to the country of Rum (the Ottoman Empire) to buy ''bedil'' (guns) and large ''meriam'' (cannons) after their first encounter with the Portuguese in 1509 AD, indicating their shortage of firearms and gunpowder weapons.''Maka kata Laksamana, "Adapun hamba sekalian datang ini dititahkan oleh Sultan Melaka membawa surat dan bingkisan tanda berkasih-kasihan antara Sultan Melaka dan duli Sultan Rum, serta hendak membeli bedil dan meriam yang besar-besar. Adalah kekurangan sedikit bedil yang besar-besar di dalam negeri Melaka itu. Adapun hamba lihat tanah di atas angin ini terlalu banyak bedil yang besar-besar.”.'' Translation: Then the Admiral said, "As for our reason for coming here, we were ordered by the Sultan of Melaka to bring a letter and a gift of sympathy between the Sultan of Melaka and the Sultan of Rum, as well as to buy large guns and cannons. There is a shortage of large guns in the state of Melaka. While I see that the land above the wind has too many big guns."
When the Portuguese came to the archipelago, they referred to it as ''berço'', which was also used to refer to any breech-loading swivel gun, while the Spaniards call it ''verso''.

Colonial era (1600–1945)

When the Dutch captured Makassar's fort of Somba Opu (1669), they seized 33 large and small bronze cannons, 11 cast-iron cannons, 145 ''base'' (breech-loading swivel gun) and 83 breech-loading gun chamber, 60 muskets, 23 arquebuses, 127 musket barrels, and 8483 bullets.

Bronze breech-loading swivel guns, called ba'dili, is brought by Makassan sailors on trepanging voyage to Australia. Matthew Flinders recorded the use of small cannon on board Makassan perahu off the Northern Territory in 1803. Vosmaer (1839) writes that Makassan fishermen sometimes took their small cannon ashore to fortify the stockades they built near their processing camps to defend themselves against hostile Aborigines. Dyer (ca. 1930) noted the use of cannon by Makassans, in particular the bronze breechloader with 2 inches (50.8 mm) bore.

The Americans fought ''Moros'' equipped with breech-loading swivel guns in the Philippines in 1904. These guns are usually referred to as lantaka or breech-loading lantaka.

Surviving examples

There are surviving examples of the cetbang at:

* The Bali Museum, Denpasar, Bali. This Balinese cannon is located in the yard of Bali Museum.
* The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. This cannon is thought to have been produced in the 15th century, made from bronze with a length of .
* Luis de Camoes museum in Macau has a piece of highly ornamented cetbang. Year manufactured is unknown.
*Talaga Manggung museum, Majalengka, West Java. Numerous cetbang is in good condition due to routine cleaning ritual.
*Some cetbang can be found in National Museum of Anthropology at Manila.
*Fatahillah Museum has a ''meriam coak'' labelled as "Cirebon cannon", in a fixed, highly ornamented mount. The whole mount is 234 cm in length, 76 cm in width, and 79 cm in height.
*Several examples and parts of cetbang can be found in Rijksmuseum, Netherlands, labelled as lilla ( lela cannon).
*A cetbang is found in Beruas river, Perak, in 1986. Now it is exhibited in Beruas museum.

Cetbang are also found at:

* Dundee beach, Northern Territory, Australia, known as "Dundee Beach swivel gun". Researchers have concluded that this bronze swivel cannon is from the 1750, before James Cook's voyage to Australia. Initially thought to be Portuguese cannon, researcher has concluded that it is likely originated from Makassar. There is nothing in its chemical composition, style, or form that matches Portuguese breech loading swivel guns.
* Bissorang village, Selayar islands, Sulawesi Selatan province. This cannon is thought to have originated from the Majapahit era. Local people call this cetbang ''Ba'dili'' or ''Papporo'' ''Bissorang''.
* A Mataram-era (1587–1755) cetbang can be found at Lubuk Mas village, South Sumatera, Indonesia.
*A 4-wheeled cetbang can be found at Istana Panembahan Matan in Mulia Kerta, West Kalimantan.
*Two cannons can be found in Elpa Putih village, Amahai sub-district, Central Maluku Regency. It is thought to have originated from 16–17th century Javanese Islamic kingdoms.
*Two cannons, named ''Ki Santomo'' and ''Nyi Santoni'', can be found in Kasepuhan Palace (in Cirebon). They are labelled as "''Meriam dari Mongolia''" (cannon from Mongolia). There is a doubt regarding the origin of the cannon, because the cannon is shaped like a Chinese dragon.

Gallery

File:Sharben Sukatanya - Meriam kuno selayar.jpg, A cetbang found on Selayar island
File:Meriam museum bali.jpg, Cetbang in Bali Museum. Length: 1833 mm. Bore: 43 mm. Length of tiller: 315 mm. Widest part: 190 mm (at the base ring).
File:Bedil Naga (Dragon Cannon).jpg, Bedil naga (dragon cannon) found on the Great Barrier Reef. Indonesian origin, manufactured between 1630 and 1680. Its discovery indicate that Asian vessels visited the coastline of eastern Australia prior to James Cook voyage.
File:Sacred gun of Java Comte de Beauvoir.png, A bronze sacred gun in Java, with breech-block, ca. 1866. Malay women come and settle accounts with the tutelary deity of this gun, and pray for children.
File:Achterlaad lilla met twee kamers, NG-MC-1358.jpg, Breech-loading " lilla", Rijksmuseum, ca. 1750–1850. Length 180.5 cm, width 21.5 cm, calibre: 4.5 cm, weight: 120.8 kg.
File:Jakarta History Museum Java12.jpg, ''Meriam coak'' dubbed "Cirebon cannon" of Jakarta History Museum (Fatahillah Museum).
File:Meriam dari Mongolia.jpg, Two cannons in Keraton Kasepuhan, labelled as cannon from Mongolia. The dragon head is similar to Chinese dragon (''long'') than Javanese dragon (''naga'').

Similar weapons

* Chongtong, Korean cannon adapted from the Yuan and Ming dynasty guns
* Bo-hiya, Japanese fire arrow
* Huochong, Chinese hand cannon
* Bedil tombak, Nusantaran hand cannon

See also

* Lantaka
* Breech-loading swivel gun
*Java arquebus, a type of firearm also called a ''bedil''
* Timeline of the gunpowder age
*History of gunpowder
* History of cannon

Notes

References

{{Filipino weapons

Naval artillery
Cannon
Indonesian inventions
Weapons of Indonesia
Weapons of Java
Indonesian culture
Malaysian culture
Weapons of Malaysia
15th-century military history
14th-century military history
Javanese culture
Weapons of the Philippines