field artillery

Field artillery means large, movable guns (cannons) used on the battlefield to fire heavy shots at enemy soldiers, cavalry, or fortifications from a distance.

• “Field” highlights that these guns were meant to travel with an army during a campaign, not stay fixed on a city wall like many fortress cannons.
• They could fire different kinds of ammunition, including stone or metal balls that could break formations, frighten horses, and damage wooden defences.
• Using field artillery successfully needed planning: positioning the guns well, protecting them while they were loaded, and coordinating with soldiers and cavalry.
• A clear example is Babur at the First Battle of Panipat (1526), where artillery helped him defeat a larger force by adding powerful long-range fire to his battle tactics.
• Field artillery changed warfare in India by making battles less dependent only on swords, spears, and elephants, and more on gunpowder technology and disciplined army organisation.

Because artillery could decide battles quickly, rulers who mastered it often gained a major advantage in building and expanding empires.