Mysorean Rockets!
Duniya ke sabse pehle iron-cased rockets USA, UK ne nahi balki humne banaye the. Anglo-Mysore wars jo ki 1780s – 1790s mein hue the usmein Haider Ali ne aur phir unke bete Tipu Sultan ne East India company par issi se vaar kiya tha.
Mysore ki army apne rockets alag banati thi, aur pura bulk production hota tha Haider Ali ke time par. Inn rockets mein iron ko maar maar kar patla aur straight kiya jata tha, iski height 20 cm hoti aur diameter 3.8 se 7.6 cm tak badlta rehta tha. Kuch bade rockets banaye jaate the toh kuch chote isi liye size thoda alag alag hota tha. Aur iske peeche bamboo ki closing hoti. Yeh bamboo ki stick 1 m long hoti thi jo iss rocket ko length deti thi. Iss iron ke compartment mein hi propeller rakha jata tha, jo isse aage badhata tha. Yeh rocket 500 gram gunpowder carry karta tha, aur kariban kariban 11 kilometer ki duri tay kar sakta tha!
Aur toh aur with time ismein changes bhi kiye gaye the.

2 tarike ke rockets saamne aaye the.
Pehla woh jismein aage gunpowder hota tha, aur woh jahan bhi girta tha wahan phat jata tha.
Dusra woh jismein baad mein ek blade bhi attach kiya gaya tha. Abb iss rocket ka kaam tha toh waisa hi farak sirf itna hai ki yeh raaste mein girte samay, apne blade se British soldiers ko maarta hua, kaat ta hua bhi jata tha.
Baat yeh hai ki angrezon ke paas rockets toh the magar woh aise iron cased nahi the. Aur toh aur woh rockets zyada distance bhi cover nahi kar paate the. Isi liye Haider Ali ki army ko advantage yahi rehta tha ki woh dur se attack kar paate the.
Itna hi nahi, Tipu Sultan ke time par yeh rockets bahut kaam aate the. Angrez abb isse darne lage the, aur toh unhone isse “Flying plague” naam de diya tha.
In fact, yeh rockets pehle use nahi kiye jaate the. Pehle normal talvaarbaazi hi hoti thi, magar jab lagta tha ki baat haath se nikal rahi hai tab inn rockets ko istemaal karne ka ishara diya jata tha. Angrez bhi jaan chuke the ki jab jab yeh rockets niklenge tab unki haar paaki hai. Isi liye kaafi samay tak angrez iss rocket ko banane mein lage rahe. Magar design aur size ka yeh amazing combination unhein bahut time tak samjh nahi aya!

Toh bus aise hi rockets ki charcha iss baar RRRR mein ho sakti hai. Akhir humne itna acha avishkar kiya hai, toh uski ek jhalak hamein movie mein na dikhe aisa toh ho hi nahi sakta!

-By Pratima Ratwani.