What oil and gas are today, nitrates (aka saltpeter) used to be - the most important strategic resource in the world. About 75% of gunpowder is made of nitrate minerals, and in the early modern era, not having nitrates meant being left behind in a two-continent-wide arms race. In this first part of a new trilogy, find out how the Gunpowder Empires of history - the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals - built their world power on their ability to produce nitrates faster and better than anyone else.
#gunpowder #mineralresources #mininghistory #metallurgy #ancientcultures #ottomanempire #nitrates
12 июл 2022
