The recent and still developing conflict between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group Hizbollah has caused many analysts and pundits to point out the great disparity in arms between the two combatants:
The State Departments 1993 report on international terrorism lists Hizbollahs strength at several thousand. Hizbollah sources assert that the organization has about 5,000-10,000 fighters. Other sources report that Hizbollahs militia consists of a core of about 300-400 fighters, which can be expanded to up to 3,000 within several hours if a battle with Israel develops. These reserves presumably are called in from Hizbollah strongholds in Lebanon, including the Bekaa Valley and Beiruts southern suburbs. The number of members involved in combat activity in southern Lebanon is under 1,000. But it has many activists and moral supporters. After the Israeli withdrawal Hizballah reduced the number of full time fighters to about 500, though estimates range from 300 to 1,200. There are also several thousand reserves, but these lack training or experience. Hizbollahs militia is a light force, equipped with small arms, such as automatic rifles, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and Katyusha rockets, which it occasionally has fired on towns in northern Israel. Hizbollah forces are shown on television conducting military parades in Beirut, which often include tanks and armored personnel carriers that may have been captured from the Lebanese army or purchased from Palestinian guerrillas or other sources. [Link]
versus:
The IDF [Israeli Defense Force] is considered to be one of the most high-tech armies in the world, possessing top-of-the-line weapons and computer systems, Some of it American-made or indigenously modified (such as the M4A1 assault rifle, F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon jets and Apache helicopter). Israel receives more than US$2 billion per year in military aid from the United States, and much of it requires that American equipment be purchased with it. In spite of this however, Israel also has developed its own independent weapons industry. Weapons such as the Merkava battle tank, Kfir jet series, and various small arms such as the Galil assault rifle and Uzi submachine gun have all proven to be very successful.
The IDF also has several large internal research and development departments, and it purchases many technologies produced by the Israeli security industries including IAI, IMI, Elbit, El-Op, Rafael, Soltam and dozens of smaller firms. Many of these developments have been battle-tested in Israel’s numerous military engagements, making the relationship mutually beneficial, the IDF getting tailor-made solutions and the industries a very high repute. [Link]
This post is filed under, “Another thing that Indians invented that you probably didn’t know about.” In this case however, the invention might be viewed by some as a rather dubious honor. The only weapon of any significance in Hizbollah’s arsenal is the Katyusha rocket. Can this single weapon threaten to defeat the IDF? No. But it was the Indians that invented the use of rocket artillery in battle, and the father of rocket artillery, Tipu Sultan (the Tiger of Mysore), was celebrated for his use of rocket artillery in defeating the superior British army in the 1792 Srirangapatna War.
…Tipu Sultan achieved a grand victory, whereby the whole British detachment lead by Colonel Baillie was destroyed and 3820 soldiers were taken prisoner (including Colonel Bailli). the contributory cause being that one of the British ammunition tambrils was set on fire by Mysorean rockets.At the Battle of Seringapatam in 1792, Indian soldiers launched a huge barrage of rockets against British troops, followed by an assault of 36,000 men. Although the Indian rockets were primitive by modern standards, their sheer numbers, noise and brilliance were said to have been quite effective at disorienting British soldiers. During the night, the rockets were often seen as blue lights bursting in the air. Since Indian forces were able to launch these bursting rockets from in front of and behind British lines, they were a tremendous tool for throwing the British off guard. The bursting rockets were usually followed by a deadly shower of rockets aimed directly at the soldiers. Some of these rockets passed from the front of the British columns to the rear, inflicting injury and death as they passed.[Link]
Here is a bit more background:
Tipu wrote a military manual called Fathul Mujahidin in which 200 rocket men were prescribed to each Mysorean ‘cushoon’. (Mysore had 16 to 24 cushoons of infantry). The areas of town where rockets and fireworks were manufactured were known as Taramandal Pet (roughly translated as “Galaxy Bazaar”).
The rocket men were trained to launch their rockets at an angle calculated from the diameter of the cylinder and the distance of the target. In addition, wheeled rocket launchers capable of launching five to ten rockets almost simultaneously were used in war. Rockets could be of various sizes, but usually consisted of a tube of soft hammered iron about 8” long and 1œ - 3” diameter, closed at one end and strapped to a shaft of bamboo about 4ft. long. The iron tube acted as a combustion chamber and contained well packed black powder propellant. A rocket carrying about one pound of powder could travel almost 1,000 yards. In contrast, rockets in Europe not being iron cased, could not take large chamber pressures and as a consequence, were not capable of reaching distances anywhere near as great. [Link]
I fancy the term, “Galaxy Bazaar.” I have a feeling that if such a thing still existed I’d find myself there often (although I feel like they DO still exist off the highway in states like Indiana 
)
Dr. APJ Abul Kalam, the father of modern Indian rocket technology, in his Tipu Sultan Shaheed Memorial Lecture in Bangalore (Nov. 30, 1991), called Tipu the innovator of the worlds first war rocket. In fact, two of these rockets, captured by British at Srirangapatana, are displayed in the Woolwich Museum Artillery in London. Their motor casing is made of steel with multi-nozzle holes and the sword blade as warhead. The 50mm diameter, 250mm long rocket weighs about 2kg, with about 1kg packed gunpowder as propellant, and its range performance is reported 900meters to 1.5 km. [Link]
So what would Tipu Sultan say if he saw his battlefield innovation being put to use in this conflict? Fortunately we have some insight into his thoughts here:
War must be linked to battlefields. Do not carry it to innocent civilians. Honor their children and the infirm. A TOLERANT RULER In the tradition of Islamic tolerance, Tipu advised that Religious tolerance is the fundamental tenet of the Quran, adding, The Quran calls upon you not to revile the idols of another religion for it says: revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. In a declaration issued in 1787, Tipu also informed his subjects: The Quran expects you to vie with each other in good works and says for each we have appointed a divine law and a traced out way. Had Allah willed he could have made you one community…so vie one with another in good works… [Link]
At a recent lecture at Tipu Sultan’s old residence “Dariya Daulat,” BrahMos Aerospace CMD and Managing Director Sivathanu Pillai spoke the following words in regards to Tipu’s accomplishments:
“As there are no models of the rockets left in India, I visited Woolwich Artillery Museum in London where a spent rocket and pieces of other weapons used by the King are on display. I will tell the President [Kalam] how innovative our people were in those days. We must celebrate this and tell the world that the birth of rocket indeed took place in Srirangapatna.
“The rocket has a steel chamber and is charged with gun powder. Even today the solid motor of a rocket looks like this. The technology the ruler and his men have developed is amazing. They had developed a launcher from which three rockets could be launched simultaneously. Though not accurate, the rockets were so effective that it spun and hit the British cavalry with deadly effect. This is depicted in a painting in the London museum. In the painting, horses were seen tumbling when hit by the rockets,” he added. [Link]
Anyways, I always find it useful to view modern conflict while keeping a historical perspective and Tipu Sultan, his deeds, and his thoughts seemed appropriate here.
To learn more about Tipu Sultan you can check out this bibliography for interesting sources.
Also see related posts: Spy Princess, Dr. Ramanand Sagar, 1917-2005, The tyranny of a transposition typo, More Vicarious Traveling: “The Lost Temples of India”, “Brown Arms White Wars”,
