Inventions have been a constant phenomenon throughout humankind’s evolution. Inventions are dated back as early as the stone age era when Homo Habilis invented handmade tools to hunt and dig roots and when Homo Erectus developed fire for cooking and warming shelters, amongst other uses. Several other inventions redefined the human race. For example, the invention of canoes transformed water navigation. The invention of silk in china redefined the dressing code of a lot of cultures in the world. This paper will analyze the invention and evolution of Compass in China and how its use spread to Western Europe and America.
The history of the magnetic compass can be dated back to 200 B.C.E in China during the Han dynasty (Vardalas, 2013). Previously, most civilizations had used the tactic of magnetizing iron by placing it near a loadstone. Chinese applied this principle of magnetism to precisely create a working compass. From 200 BC, the compass was made from a small spoon used as the needle and was placed on a table engraved with compass points. China used the early compasses to tell the directions of winds and waters until 202 BC and 220 BC, when south pointer compasses were developed and used for traveling.
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During Song Dynasty (9 th – 12 th Century), the magnetic compass was improved by Shen Kuo, and the North direction of the magnet was determined after a series of experiments (Vardalas, 2013). Kuo explained that the true North of the interest provided a more accurate base for navigation than the previous compasses. In the 13 th Century, the concept of the magnetic compass was transferred to the Arabic Islamic empire through trade. Islamic astronomers later used it to make watches. Between the 12 th and 15 th Centuries, the Chinese had understood the power of the compass in sailing and consequently built the largest army that was the most powerful in the world (Davies, 2018).
The technology of compass was transferred to Europe at the dusk of the 12 th Century through the Silk Road trade (Kizer, 2002). In Europe, technology revolutionized scientific inventions and sea navigations. Europeans extensively used the magnetic compass to sail through the Mediterranean Sea and the English Channel and eventually across the Atlantic into the Indian Ocean. The use of Compass in Europe revolutionized sea trade as the navigations were made more accessible and faster. Sailors used the compass to locate their destinations.
The invention of Compass in China brought an immense change of culture in America. Davies (2002) reported that, in the 15 th Century, Christopher Columbus discovered America as he sailed East, which led to the colonization of America by Europeans. Europeans wiped out most of the indigenous red Indians and spread their western culture throughout American soil. Europeans introduced their farming methods in America which led to the Agrarian revolution. Additionally, America was opened to the world of trade, and this significantly impacted the culture of the native Americans. Moreover, Christopher Columbus was a Catholic, and thereby he implemented his ambition of spreading the Catholic religion across America.
Even though the invention of the compass started in China, its effects have been felt across the globe. The design of the compass revolutionized trade in Europe as it increased maritime. Scientists in Europe used the compass to further their innovations in time and electricity. Compass led to the colonization of the world by Europeans because it increases the ease and efficiency of navigation. The invention of the compass has played a significant role in making the different and distant nations a one-connected world defined by social-cultural diversity.
References
Davies, S. (2018). Routes, rutters, navigational techniques and the development of navigational aids in traditional Chinese seagoing: The case of the compass. Artifact. Techniques, histoire et sciences humaines , (8), 141-182
Kizer, K. W. (2002). The riddle of the compass—The invention that changed the world. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine , 13 (4), 278-279.
Vardalas, J. (2013). A history of the magnetic compass. The Institute, IEEE History Center, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer
