World’s first War Rocket invented by

Malik Ambar in 1612 AD

A research article on World’s First War Rocket developed and used
effectively in the war against Emperor Jahangir in 1612 AD at Aurangabad.
Encyclopaedia Americana1 further says that all these rockets
consisted of cardboard into which pulverized gun powder; with an
addition of charcoal to slow the burning, had been gluttonously hammered
by hand. The first attempts to stabilize rockets by means of tail fins took
place in about 1700 AD. Col. Christone Holtzman in 1703 built rockets and
tested them but these experiments had no military consequences.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica2 states that the concept of rocket
technology to bring in practice will take another 100 years after 1678 AD
to prove. The Encyclopaedia Americana accepted that by 1570 all these
rockets consisted of cardboard and the experiment made by various
persons about rockets had no military consequence. But the Europeans and
the British were totally unaware of the fact that Malik Ambar developed
effective war-rockets and implemented the same in the war with Indian
Emperor Jahangir in the year 1612 AD. Several soldiers were wounded and
died. It seems that India was quite advanced in the technology of rockets as
compared to the European countries. Though it is a great incident of the
world but unfortunately Aurangabad and Malik Ambar were not given any
place in the Encyclopaedias of Britannica and Americana or any other World
Books. Fortunately, there was only one written authentic evidence about this
incident in the form of an autobiography of Emperor Jahangir called as “The
Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri3”. Unfortunately, there was no cognizance taken by the
Government of India and world books to create a memorial of Malik Ambar.
Wakiat-e-Jahangiri4 is the translation of ‘The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri’ by
Mr. Elliot and Dowson and there is another translation of the same script
‘The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri’ by Alexander Rogers; excerpts of the translation
are as follows;

1 The Encyclopedia Americana, International Edition, Complete in Thirty Volumes, First Published in 1829, American
Corporation, International Headquarters 575, Lexington Avenue, New York 10022, Volume 23, Pums to Russellville
(Page 599a)
2 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 19, RaynalToSarraut, 1965, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc, William Benton,

Publisher, (Page 366)

3 The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri; or, Memoirs of Jahangir. Translated by Alexander Rogers. Edited by Henry Beveridge. First

published in 1909-1914.
4 Wakiat-e-Jahangiri is the translation of ‘The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri’ by Mr. Elliot and Dowson (Dwazda Sala Jahangiri) or

‘The Memoirs of Jahangir’ was contemporary Persian book translated by the world-famous British historians Mr.
Elliot and Dowson. They wrote in their English Translation, “History of India as Told by its own Historian” Vol. 6, page
No. 333
 ……… “Ambar the black faced who had placed himself in command of
the enemy, continually brought up reinforcements till he had assembled a
large force, and he constantly annoyed Abdullah Khan with ROCKETS and
various kinds of fiery MISSILES till he reduced him to a sad condition. ……..”
The Encyclopaedia of Americana Vol 23. Page 599a, reported the
fact of war of British Govt. in India with Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan in 1792
AD. Though the British were quite advanced in science and technology
amongst other European countries in those days and there was always tug
of war in all European countries in developing new research on various
technological field but they could not develop rocket weapons that Haider
and Tipu could do so in India. The news of the defeat of British by Haider and
Tipu in India by using new weapon i.e., ROCKET spread all over the European
countries like wildfire and European scientists immediately turned their
attention towards that new invention of India. A Young British colonel
William Congreve immediately rushed down to India to study this rocket
technology of India.

History of Rockets earlier to Malik Ambar in India

Mohammad Kasim Farishta1 has given a reference that Ahmed Nizam
Shah founded Ahmednagar in the year 1490 AD and also used Rockets in the
war. Some modern historians give credit to Ahmed Nizam Shah to invent
Rocket but unfortunately the Rockets were effective to frighten the enemies
but they could not develop rockets as War weapon to kill the enemies to win
the War. After 127-year Malik Ambar was succeeded to develop Rockets as
war weapon to kill the enemies and at frightening the enemies.
Unfortunately, Ahmednagar king or any other king in India could not develop
war rockets from 1498 to 1600 AD.
Malik Ambar was first in the world who develop war rockets
effectively in the war against Emperor Jahangir in 1612 AD. As such the
credit of inventing war rockets goes to Malik Ambar and not to the Tipu
Sultan of Mysore.
Evidences of war rockets used during Malik Ambar & after him
1612 AD - War at Aurangabad: Jahangir writes at Tuzuk i Jahangiri - Malik
Ambar due to his powerful army rockets thrown on the army of Jahangir.
Some persons died and some were wounded. Zulfiqar Baig also displayed

1 Mohamed Kasim Farishta, (Original Persian), History of the Rise of the Mohamedan Power in India, translated by
John Briggs, Adam Publishers and Distributors, Vol. 3, Ed. 2006, p. 123
manly actions, and a rocket struck him on the leg, and two days afterwards
he died.
1615 AD - War near Aurangabad: “Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri” states that the whole
of the enemy Malik Ambar’s army artillery, with 300 laden camels that
carried rockets, war elephants, etc.
1637 AD - Mudgaon Village War: When Aurangzeb was Subedar his
commander Khane Zaman passed an order for the payment of Rocket Men
for the payment of their salaries.1
Baglana Fort2: Endorsed memorandum, conveying imperial orders to supply
ammunition articles five hundred rockets along with one canon hundred
canon bombs etc.
1656 AD - Bidar Fort3: Prince Aurangzeb and Muazim Khan (Mir Jumla)
attacked on the Fort of Bidar. Siddi Marjan and old servant of Ibrahim Adil
Khan resisted strongly with the rockets and other weapons but lastly
Aurangzeb succeeded to besiege the fort.
1659 AD - Khwaja (Town)4: The new military weapon i.e., war-rockets
were not only used by Malik Ambar alone but also, they were used by
Mughals. Prince Aurangzeb in the battle with his brother Prince Shuja.
Aurangzeb got success in this war.
1792 AD - War of Srirangapatnam: Tipu Sultan of Mysore thrown hundreds
of rockets on the British army and succeeded in the war.
India was isolated from the European countries regarding science &
war equipment till 1792 as such they were unknown about India’s
development regarding development of war rockets.
It is evidently proven that Malik Ambar was the first man who
invented and developed world’s first effective war rockets.

Dr. Shaikh Ramzan

+91 9823221930
drshaikhramzan.official@gmail.com

Note: It is only a short summary of research article.

1 Selected documents of Shah Jahan reigns published by Daftar-e-Diwani, Hyderabad, Deccan, 1950, p.25
2 Ibid.
3 Historical & Descriptive Sketch of His Highness; The Nizam’s Dominion compiled by Syed Hossain
Bilgrami & C. Willmott, Vol II, p.377
4 Maasir-i-Alamgiri A History of the Emperor Aurangzib-Alamgir (Reign 1658-1707 A.D.) of Saqi Must’ad
Khan Translated into English and annotated by Sir Jadu Nath Sarkar p.7