Rare gun of Mogul era to become proud exhibit of Allahabad Museum

ALLAHABAD: The Mogul-era single-barrel rare gun, found in a small cellar, located beneath the stairs of the department of Medieval and Modern history of Allahabad University would now be one of the pride exhibit of the Allahabad Museum. The gun and the two iron fireballs were handed over to the museum officials by the head of the department, on Monday.
The two antique firearms items were found by the peon of the department, Syyed Ali, around 15 years back, who kept the items with him for the past many years. The gun is around five feet in length and weighs around 20 kilograms. The long barrel of the gun measures around two inch in diameter and an iron rod, installed in the middle of the gun, helps in stability while firing the weapon.
Despite facing the brunt of the neglect, in terms of keeping it properly and careful conservation for several centuries, the wooden butt of the gun is intact. Although, the entire gun is intact, the barrel and the iron click that fires the gunpowder and the parts that hold together the gun with the wooden butt are now rusted.
"The gun belongs to around 17th century era and the interesting fact is that we all know of heavy cannon and how it was placed on strategic locations on the rampart of forts, but here we have a portable ‘mini cannon’ which was as effective (although for lesser distance) but the beauty of this arsenal was that it was portable,” said OA Wankhade, deputy curator of the museum.
The solider just had to carry it to the place of his choice and fix the iron stand in the hole, already made on the rampart, and fire at the specific spot of the battlefield. The iron stand, attached to the barrel of the gun, provided all the needed stability when the gun was fired.
The expert, while detailing on the importance of the gun and it’s contribution to learn more of artillery might during medieval period, said, “We have all the needed information about the big cannon, small pistols and guns used for shooting the bullet, but this piece is the missing link between the two, how heavy fixed artillery was developed into more portable cannons."
About the two iron balls, found along with the gun, the expert said, “These iron balls are rarer a thing as compared to gun because these were used to store the gunpowder." The heavy and thick walls of the balls would protect the gunpowder from exploding if it falls accidently, he added.
The head of the department, Prof Yogeshwar Tewari, who is also a member of the executive council of the Allahabad Museum sent a letter to the museum and asked two of its officials to visit the department and inspect the antiques. On January 31, two officials of the museum visited the department and inspected the gun along with the two cannonballs and wrote a report asking the University to transfer the custody of the gun to the Allahabad Museum for its proper conservation.
"Now the antique gun which is a priceless heritage will be treated in the museum laboratory and then kept on display in the museum for visitors and scholars alike," said the HoD.