In ancient times, China's science and technology were in the forefront of the world in many aspects. Thousands of years after the 5th century, Europe was in a feudal society. In this long period, China's science and technology has been developing, while Europe's science and technology has stagnated.
Only in 15 and 6th centuries, due to the disintegration of feudal system and the gradual formation of capitalist system, modern natural science in Europe was born.
Extended data
The influence of four great invention on that world:
China's four great inventions were introduced to the west before the emergence of modern European civilization, which had a certain impact on the development of western science and technology. The adoption of gunpowder and firearms destroyed the ideological shackles of Catholicism in medieval Europe. The introduction of compass made it possible for European navigators to discover America and sail around the world, which laid the foundation for the development of world trade and western handicrafts.
Needham's praise and attention to these four great inventions made this statement greatly recognized by China and written into textbooks.
Engles wrote in "Artillery" published in 1857: "In China, saltpeter was mixed with other lighters to make pyrotechnics for military and grand ceremonies in a very early period." Gunpowder was first recorded in alchemy books at the end of the Tang Dynasty in the 9th century.
In 904 AD, Yang Xingmi led an army to besiege Zhang Yu (now Nanchang, Jiangxi), and ordered Zheng Kun and his men to "arise in Fei Huo, burn dragons and scatter them, lead strong men to the city first, and bury them urgently". This is the earliest use of gunpowder in military records, and the earliest gunpowder weapon appeared in Dunhuang murals in the Five Dynasties.
Dunhuang frescoes in the Five Dynasties period (which belonged to rebels at that time) are the earliest known depictions of muskets and grenades. The earliest metal ware in the world was unearthed in Heilongjiang, China, with the production date of 1288, and is now in the Heilongjiang Provincial Museum.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Four Inventions