What is the military-device referred to by the term manjanią ?

The term 'manjaniq' (also spelled manjanią) refers to a medieval siege engine used for throwing heavy stones, commonly known as a mangonel or trebuchet. These devices were essential components of medieval siege arsenals, utilized by both Frankish and Muslim armies to breach stone walls and wooden gates [2]. In the context of the Delhi Sultanate and broader medieval warfare, manjaniqs were traction or counterweight-based machines that launched projectiles to destroy fortifications. While gunpowder artillery like cannons became prominent later, specifically introduced in India by Babur in the 16th century, the manjaniq represented the primary mechanical artillery of the preceding era [3]. It functioned by using mechanical physics to throw large stones over significant distances to smash enemy defenses [2].

Sources

1. [1] https://ww2.jacksonms.gov/libweb/893Bq0/3OK067/HistoryOfTheTrebuchetCatapult.pdf
2. [2] https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/87056/1/2016fultonmsphd.pdf
3. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > First Battle of Panipat (21 April 1526) > p. 200