History Of Fire Crackers | How much pollution is produced due to fire crackers? | Who made first fire cracker in india? |

What is the History Of Fire Crackers in India and How much pollution is produced due to fire crackers? Who made first fire cracker in India? do fire crackers really belongs to mughal culture? We will understand everything in datails.................

Hello, friends!

This article is on Firecrackers. In India, firecrackers are used the most during Diwali, and in the rest of the world, they are used the most during New Year. Apart from these, some people have firecrackers at weddings, and they can also be seen at sports events like cricket matches or football matches. This article is for all firecrackers. Since firecrackers have become a part of various traditions all around the world, it is very important that we know about them in detail. How much pollution do they cause? Are they truly detrimental to health? What is their history? Are they part of Mughal traditions? Or Chinese traditions? Come, let's try to understand this, in this article. "Where were firecrackers burst for the first time?" "Where did the tradition of fireworks begin? And what is the true history?

 

Let's begin our story from the year 1923, In a small village in Tamil Nadu, Sivakasi, P Ayya Nadar and his cousin Shanmuga Nadar, leave their village to go on a journey. They go to Kolkata to learn how to make matchsticks. They return to their village 8 months later, import machines from Germany, train laborers, and start the business of producing matchsticks. They name their company National Matches. Some years later, they begin manufacturing firecrackers as well. Under the brand name National Fireworks. The first firecracker they made was a sparkler. Their business runs smoothly for the next 10-20 years. And then came the Second World War that made things difficult for them. Importing from European countries became difficult. This led to a boom in manufacturers in India. To organize the industry, the British India government passed a law in 1940. Persons manufacturing, possessing or selling firecrackers, are brought under an organized system, and the government gave licenses to them. After this, the first organized factory to manufacture fireworks was established in India. In 1942, there were only 3 factories manufacturing fireworks in India. Fast forwarding 40 years, by 1980, there were 189 factories. Nowadays, the reported number is more than 700. The turnover of this firecracker industry in India is more than ₹80 billion. And around 800,000 people are employed in this industry. But Sivakasi remains an important place in this context, because even now, 90% of the fireworks manufactured in India, are made in Sivakasi. Although, the first fireworks factory in India was not set up in Sivakasi, it was in Kolkata during the 1800s. What does this mean though? Were there no fireworks in India before the 1800s? That isn't the case.

 

Firecrackers existed even before that, in fact, there's a caste of people in India, the Atishbaz. They are considered to be a so-called 'backward' caste of Sunni Muslims. They refer to themselves are Atishbaz Sheikhs as well, or as Barudgir or Hawaigir. People from this caste can be generally found in Uttar Pradesh's Banaras, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, in fact, there's a place near Aligarh, named Atishbazan. They believe that their ancestors were brought in from Central Asia by the Mughals. And that their ancestors were specialists in manufacturing gunpowder. We see historical mentions of them, such as by Bengal's Civil Service Officer W. Crookes in his book North Western Provinces Of India written in 1897. They are mentioned in this book. Additionally, the British census report mentions them as well. But after the British came, the relevance of the Atishbaz community diminished. Because firecrackers were being imported from Europe and China. Sociologist Nita Kumar claims another reason in her book The Artisans of Banaras 1880-1986. The then Nawabs and landlords back then had fewer funds to spend on fireworks and celebrations. They couldn't afford it. And the Atishbaz community shifted to making small firecrackers. And eventually declined.

 

But going further back in time, what was the relevance of fireworks under the reign of Rajas? Listen to this description from the Maratha Chronicle Peshwayanchi Bakhar. Here, Mahadji Shinde describes the Diwali celebrations in Kota to Peshwa Sawai Madhavrao. He explains how the festival of Diwali was celebrated for 4 days in Kota. With hundreds of thousands of 'Diya' or clay lamps being lit. The King of Kota presented a fireworks display as well. That was named the Lanka of Fireworks. Mahadji described how Ravan was placed in the centre surrounded by his demon underlings, with a large image of Hanuman behind them. Everything was prepared with gunpowder, and by lighting it on fire, the scene of Lanka Dahan, can be seen. After hearing the description, the Peshwa wanted to have the display in his city too. And this grand performance of the fireworks was witnessed by the people living in Puna for the first time. This was during the 1700s. Another king from this era, loved fireworks. Mughal ruler Roshan Akhtar. Also known as Mohammad Shah Rangeela. Mohammad Shah was his title, and his pen name was Sada Rangeela. Meaning a jolly person. You might not know much about this Mughal emperor, because he is mostly known for being defeated by Nadir Shah. And how the decline of the Mughal Empire began with him. But on the other hand, he was a fan of arts and culture. During his reign, music, painting, and art flourished. In addition to those, he loved fireworks as well. Rangeela's Rang Mahal, used to be an important venue for Diwali celebrations. Clay lamps would be lit all around Shahjahanabad. The city that we now know as Old Delhi. And there was a special Akash Diya, that was placed on the end of a long pole. We read a similar account in the book The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple. Written on Bahadur Shah Zafar. Bahadur Shah Zafar even worshipped Hindu Godden Lakshmi in front of his fort.

 

Coming back to the Mughal ruler Rangeela, he had appointed a peron especially for fireworks. Mir Atish. He was tasked with lighting fireworks from the Red Fort, and the women would go to the Qutub Minar, to watch the firework display in the Red Fort. Rangeela and Bahadur Shah Zafar weren't the exceptions. Professor Harbans Mukhia tells us that celebrating Diwali was prominent right from the reign of Akbar. Diwali was a festival that was celebrated by everyone, not exclusively by Hindus. Mughals called it the Jashan-e-Chiranghan. The festival of lights. Interestingly, not only Diwali, but Dusherra was also celebrated by the Mughals. Contemporary Persian historian Mirza Qatil tells us, about how Dushhera was celebrated in Delhi in the 18th century. Huge edifices of Ravan made of paper and cardboard were made. But Ravan wasn't stuffed with firecrackers. Rather, there would be a pot in the edifice's stomach, filled with sherbet, and young boys were dressed as Lord Ram, who would then shoot an arrow at the pot, and later the sherbet was given to all. The oldest record of firecrackers from the Mughal rule that we have is from Akbar's reign. When Akbar was around 13 or 14 years old, he had made an edifice of his enemy Hemu, filled it with firecrackers and set it on fire. That was in 1556. Dr Katherine Butler Schofield claims that Mughals and Rajputs used fireworks a lot during the winters and late autumn. We see numerous historical paintings that depict fireworks. Some paintings in Rajasthani style, some in Pahadi style, and some in Mughal style. Fireworks on Diwali, on Shab-e-Barat, and even at weddings. Apart from these occasions, fireworks would be displayed even when there was a coronation. Such as when Aurangzeb became the ruler. You'd wonder how. Aurangzeb had apparently banned fireworks during Diwali. You might have read this on social media. Because some time ago, in a viral social media post it was claimed that Aurangzeb had apparently issued a royal edict banning fireworks during Diwali. What's the truth? ABP News ran a fact check on this claim, on Abhisar Sharma's show, when they checked Rajasthan's State Archives to get to the truth of this. It was found that such a document does actually exist, In 1667, Aurangzeb issued a royal edict to the governors to impose a ban on fireworks. "The Emperor has decreed, to direct the governors of the regions, to impose a ban on fireworks. And to direct Faulad Shah to make announcements in the city that no fireworks, things that were used during celebrations and weddings, made of gunpowder should not be used." But interestingly, Diwali was not specifically pointed out here. In this edict, only fireworks were mentioned. Used for any happy occasion. Whether it was during weddings or even Muslim festivals. Yup, that's right, there's a Muslim festival Shab-e-Barat, for which firework displays were quite common. This was a complete ban on firecrackers. We do not know why. But this edict was issued on 8th April 1667. As you can see, April wasn't around Diwali.

 

But let's keep aside Aurangzeb, And go further back than the Mughals. Were firecrackers used even before the Mughal rule? The answer: YES! In the book by late historian Satish Chandra, Medieval India: From Sultanat To The Mughals In it, he describes how in 1609AD, Bijapur's Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah, gave a large dowry during the wedding and spend ₹80,000 on fireworks. This is located in present-day Karnataka. Even further back in time, In 1518, an officer from Portuguese India, wrote in his travel log, his name was Duarte Barbosa he mentioned going to Gujarat and witnessing the wedding in a Brahmin family, where guests were entertained with dancing, songs, and by firing rockets and bombs. Even further back in time, 1443, in the Vijayanagar Kingdom, Italian traveller Ludovico di Varthema, describes fireworks in Vijayanagar, and how elephants had become uncontrollable since they were scared of the fire. Eminent historian PK Gode wrote a book on the history of fireworks. He estimates that around 1400 AD, fireworks were introduced in India. This was when gunpowder was used in Indian warfare for the first time. This begs the question, who brought these firecrackers to India? Renowned medieval historian Farishta, writes in the book Tarikh E Farishta, that in 1258, there was a fireworks show in Delhi, in the court of Naseeruddin Mohammad. 3,000 cartloads of fireworks were brought in. To welcome the envoy of the Mongol Ruler Hulagu Khan. About a century later, in 1350, there was a fireworks display in Delhi, during Feroz Shah Tughlaq's rule. As evident from the Tarikh-i Firoz Shahi, this took place in the evening of the festival Shab-e-Barat. It seems like after watching this article, Muslims will now say that fireworks are a part of their tradition and culture. Actually, Mongols brought gunpowder from China. Chenghis Khan used gunpowder during the Mongol raids, and it was due to the Mongols, that gunpowder spread to other European and Asian nations. It's said that Europeans found out about gunpowder from either the Mongols or the famous traveller Marco Polo. The first mentions were seen around the 1300s. In England, the first recorded fireworks display was at Henry VII's wedding in 1486. And in America, the first fireworks display was in 1608 by Captain John Smith. Back then, Americans used fireworks for special occasions. And when America became independent, in 1776, fireworks were used for the celebrations. This is why, friends, even now, fireworks are a large part of the tradition to celebrate Independence Day 4th of July.

 

Another question that arises here is that How were these firecrackers invented? It is said that around 200 BC, the Chinese accidentally discovered firecrackers. When they put bamboos into fire. They saw that they burst like firecrackers. But it took another millennium for manmade fireworks to be developed. Around 800 AD, an alchemist was mixing some chemicals to discover the elixir of immortality. By chance, he mixed Sulphur, Charcoal, and Potassium Nitrate. When he set it on fire, there was a blast. And friends, this was how gunpowder was discovered. This black powder was known as Huo Yao. The fire chemical. And when the Chinese people filled this powder in bamboo, and then set it on fire, that was the invention of firecrackers. The first firecrackers they had invented, were rockets that went around on the ground. Horizontally moving rockets. Known as Earth Rats. Today, this is a well-accepted fact most historians agree that this is how firecrackers were invented in China.

 

Even so, in India, some people try to argue that firecrackers were invented in India, rather than in China. As evidence, they cite some historical texts like, Skand Puran, Vaishnav Kand, Chapter 2, Verse 65 it means that people carried balls of fire to light their path. It's common sense that the word Ulka used here doesn't refer to a firecracker. Historians like Dr GV Tagare tell us that this word refers to a torch. People carried flammable torches with them. Today, when Diwali is celebrated, the reason is said to be the return of Lord Ram with his wife Sita to Ayodhya. And so people have been celebrating Diwali for generations. But if you read verses 49 to 60 of this Puran, you'd see that there's another reason to celebrate Diwali. According to this, Daitya King Bali, was very arrogant and proud. So Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a Brahmin, and asked for land spanning 3 steps from King Bali. The King laughed at this, and granted the request. But Lord Vishnu who was disguised as a Brahmin grew larger. So large that he covered the entire Earth, the underworld, and the sky in 2.5 steps. Only then did Bali realize his arrogance. He requested Lord Vishnu, to let him rule for 3 more days. To let his wife Goddess Lakshmi stay in the houses of those subjects who lighted clay lamps. And if people offered their lamps to the underworld on the 14th day, their forefathers would not be sent to the underworld. The point here is that clay lamps or diyas are mentioned here repeatedly. Some other texts are also cited here, such as Arthashastra by Kautilya. Nitiprakasika by Vaishampayan. 7,000 Verses of Bogur by Saint Bogur. But none of them mentions firecrackers. Instead, these texts mention Agnichuran or Vediuppu. These refer to fire powder or explosive salts. Historians believe that these refer to Salt Petre. A naturally occurring substance, found in caves all around the world. The thing is, had firecrackers been truly used in ancient India, we would have seen those in paintings. It would have been reflected in the arts. But we see this only after the 1300s. Anyway, enough with the history.

 

Let's get to the aspect of pollution. Do firecrackers cause pollution? Yes, absolutely. No one disagrees with this. Everyone agrees that firecrackers cause pollution, but the argument is about the level of pollution not being significant. That vehicles cause more pollution. Or the stubble burning in the fields. So let's look at the research studies related to this. Chest Research Foundation (CRF) in Pune conducted a study in 2016. They used a light scattering photometer, to record the levels of PM2.5 minute by minute. They analyzed different types of firecrackers to see the level of pollution caused by each type. The six most popular firecrackers are the particulate matter emitted by these firecrackers are 200 to 2,000 times more than the safe limits declared by the World Health Organisation. India Spend analysed the results of this study and compared it to a room of 50m³, a closed room with a single cigarette lit inside it, and the levels of PM2.5 emitted by it. PM2.5 is the Particulate Matter 2.5 they are the harmful matters causing pollution. In their analysis, it was found that one of these firecrackers, releases the same amount of PM2.5 as released by 34 cigarettes. One sparkler is equal to 74 cigarettes. These 1,000-piece crackers are equal to 277 cigarettes.

 

People claim that in a year, vehicles emit more pollution than firecrackers. But in that one day, there's so much pollution, that just for comparison, it is the same as sending a young child to a room in a closed room with 50 people smoking cigarettes. Only for a day. The child will have to live in that room for only a day. And he can breathe fresh air for the rest of the year. Will that one day make a difference? Some people do not care enough to change their bad habits. And to justify those, they can list out hundreds of reasons. Such as this opinion article in which the author claims that setting off firecrackers is actually useful. That it is scientifically useful to burst firecrackers. How? The reason given by this author is that since firecrackers contain sulphur, and sulphur is a pesticide, the firecrackers work as pesticides. If we had to use firecrackers as pesticides, why not use sulphur directly? For argument's sake, let's assume it might be true, that firecrackers do work as pesticides, so will you, for a day, send a child to a room in which a huge amount of pesticide has been sprayed? What's wrong if the child coughs a lot, or sustains damage to his lungs, and it causes pollution, it is after all killing a few mosquitoes. These people share many such reports, that the pollution from firecrackers is negligible as compared to that from other sources. It's the same as me shouting loudly in your ear and keep doing so for an entire day, and say that you need not worry because the average noise pollution caused by my shouting over a year, and the average of the noise pollution you face from other sources, I am causing negligible noise pollution to you. What's the impact of one person spitting publicly, when the entire city is littered with waste? So if I spit in public places, it makes no difference, right? It's negligible compared to the rest of the garbage.

 

The point is, there are many sources of pollution. That's true. Pollution from vehicles needs to be controlled as well. Pollution from factories needs to be controlled as well. There should be strict government rules about them. The stubbles burning in the fields need to be controlled as well. The pollution emitted by firecrackers is also pollution. And needs to be controlled. To call it negligible by averaging it over the year, is extremely wrong, because as I explained with the cigarette example, when there is so much pollution in a day due to a large number of firecrackers, it can be compared mindlessly like this. Even after listening to this, some people will say that even if there's no mention of firecrackers in Valmiki's Ramayana, even if Chinese people were the ones to have invented firecrackers, and that the Mongols were the ones to bring it to India, even if, historically, Diwali has no connection to firecrackers, they will still light firecrackers. To these people, I request that they spare the children. Why should children inhale so much pollution into their lungs? A single firecracker is equal to smoking 50 cigarettes at once in a closed room. If you claim that children enjoy this, I'd like to point out that children's enjoyment depends on the conditioning they receive. If you tell them that it is much more interesting to draw rangolis, that it is much more enjoyable to light diyas and decorate the home, that the real fun is in spending time with friends and family, obviously, that's what they will want to do. As a solution, some people suggest green crackers. But Green Crackers do not mean that they do not emit pollution. They emit only 30% less pollution than normal firecrackers.

 

In my opinion, the middle ground is people stop lighting firecrackers individually, instead, the government can organize public events for fireworks displays, This can be done on New Year's Eve, Diwali, or any major occasion. There are 2 major advantages to this. The first is that since we will not be close to the fireworks, the dangerous effect of air pollution would be drastically low when we simply watch the display from afar. And the second is if people living in the city forgo lighting firecrackers themselves, rather a public show is organized by the government, it will greatly reduce the number of firecrackers needed. And as far as weddings are concerned, not using firecrackers at a wedding is the easiest part. By not having firecrackers at a wedding, it will not dampen the enjoyment. Firecrackers hardly matter at weddings. What do you think? Comment below. If you liked this article, you'll enjoy this  article as well.

 

Thank you very much!