Who is not hearing about the AQI in North India? For the last few years, Diwali in North India comes with scary data of Air Pollution and it persists in the complete winter season. The capital city recorded an AQI of 1040 on the Diwali night of 2020. Among various large and small reasons, the greatest villain of the time is Fireworks and crackers although NGT had already banned the crackers in many cities. So, what is the history of Firecrackers? How it originated? How it got connected with Diwali? We will know it all and more here.


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FIREWORK IS CHINESE?

What do you think? Well, it's true. Historians believe that the earliest firecracker cracked in Liuyang, China in about the second century BCE. It was Bamboo Stalk, which when thrown in the fire, explodes with a bang. Why? Because of the air-filled inside the hollow bamboo. It was all matter of air and pressure. For centuries Chinese people used this natural scientific phenomenon as a thing of amusement with no chemicals involved. Cool.

 

THE ADVANCEMENT

The adventure happened in the period of 600-900AD when Chinese people got familiar with some chemicals and one of the alchemists mixed potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal to produce a black powder later known as The Gun Powder. This powder when poured inside bamboo and burnt, the first man-made firework was formed.  Say it the effect of Buddhism or what but for many more years, Chinese people used these fireworks for entertainment, celebrations, and festivals until European traders came to know about it.


credits: realmofhistory.com

 

IN THE BATTLEGROUND

The Europeans developed Gun powder as a potential weapon in the wars and revolutionized the battles. The bamboo sticks were replaced by metal tubes and rings and fireworks and gun powder became an asset of power to conquer. The industrial revolution gradually developed it all to modern war-weapons and the scientific and chemical development in the 18th and 19th century took forward this approach to the atomic level of explosions. Meanwhile, fireworks also increased their importance in amusement. Various European nations became a hub of manufacturing of these chemical-based items. The trade of fireworks expanded to America and other parts of the world. A large number of fireworks was used in the celebrations of the independence of the United States.

 

WAY TO INDIAN PENINSULA

There are many mentions of firework in the medieval history of India. Fireworks and war technology arrived in India with foreign visitors and invaders. Mughals used gun powder in various battles. As the technology of war developed the entertainment and amusement by fireworks developed parallel tit. One of the earliest notes pyrotechnical shows is about the kingdom of Vijaynagar. The firework shows evolved as Royal entertainment with time.

 

FIREWORKS IN MODERN INDIA

The Sultan of Bijapur, Adil Shah spent Rs 80,000 on fireworks at the wedding of the daughter of his courtier in 1609. It didn’t take much time for fireworks to reach wealthy peoples other than the royal family. Till the end of the 18th century, the war weapons were getting highly advance and the rich persons were using colorful fireworks in major festivals and ceremonies and gradually it became an integral part of cultural events.

The 20th century marked the expansion of the firework trade to the general public. New elements producing beautiful colors were invented. The manufacturing was not limited to certain traders and companies. Fireworks become a part of rituals and almost every major celebration at night involved colorful crackling. The traders modified the products to be used by children. The economic competition brought a variety of products and festivals like Diwali were considered incomplete without fireworks till the 21st century knocked in.

PRESENT

Meanwhile, the problems related to pollution and air quality have raised to such an extent today that Delhi and entire North India are suffering. I agree it’s not only because of crackers but there are varied reasons, no doubt.

The question is whether this form of celebration is going to be a thing of history very soon? We need to think about whether fireworks have a future in India or not

 ‘Change is the only constant and adaption is the base of survival.’