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 Gun salutes are the firing of cannons or arms as a (military or naval) honor. The custom originates in naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent. As naval customs evolved, 21 volleys came to be fired for heads of state, with the number decreasing with the rank of the recipient of the honor. Multiples of 21-gun salutes may be fired for particularly important celebrations.
[edit] HistoryThe tradition of saluting can be traced to the Middle Ages practice of placing oneself in an unarmed position and, therefore, in the power of those being honored. This may be noted in the dropping of the point of the sword, presenting arms, firing cannon and small arms, lowering sails, manning the yards, removing the headdress or laying on oars. The gun salute might have originated in the 17th century with the maritime practice of demanding that a defeated enemy expend its ammunition and render itself helpless until reloaded — a time-consuming operation in that era. Also, the gun salute was established as a naval tradition by the late sixteenth century. A man o' war which visited a foreign port would discharge all its guns to show that its guns were empty. Since the ship would not have enough time to reload before it was within range of the shore batteries, it was clearly demonstrating its friendly intentions by going in with empty guns. Salute by gunfire is an ancient ceremony. The British for years compelled weaker nations to render the first salute; but in time, international practice compelled "gun for gun" on the principle of equality of nations. In the earliest days, seven guns was the recognized British national salute because seven was the standard number of weapons on a vessel. In that day, gunpowder made from sodium nitrate was easier to keep on dry land than at sea. Thus those early regulations stated that although a ship would fire only seven guns, the forts ashore would fire three shots to each one shot afloat, hence the number 21. The system of odd numbered rounds is said to have been originated by Samuel Pepys, Secretary to the Navy in the Restoration, as a way of economizing on the use of powder, the rule until that time having been that all guns had to be fired. Odd numbers were chosen, as even numbers indicated a death. With the increase in quality of naval gunpowder, by the use of potassium nitrate, honors rendered at sea were increased to the shore salute. 21 guns became the highest national honor, although for a period of time, monarchies received more guns than republics. Eventually republics gained equality in Britain's eyes. India during the period of British reign developed a formal hierarchical system of gun salutes. Apart from the 101 gun Imperial salute reserved for the British monarch, the more important of the hundreds of vassal rulers of princely states involved in indirect rule were classified by the number of guns used when paying honors to them, signifying their prestige in the eyes of the British. The highest of these so-called "salute states" (also in some other parts of the British Empire) enjoyed 21 guns (Hyderabad, Patiala, Berar, Mysore, Jammu and Kashmir, Baroda, and Gwalior). For years, a few rulers not formally under the control of the British were granted 21 guns (Nepal, Oman, Mosquito Coast and Zanzibar) or even 31 guns (Afghanistan and Siam). There was much confusion because of the varying customs of maritime states, but finally the British government proposed to the United States a regulation that provided for "salutes to be returned gun for gun." The British at that time officially considered the international salute to sovereign states to be 21 guns, and the United States adopted the 21 guns and "gun for gun" return on 18 August 1875. [edit] By country[edit] IndiaSalute for President of India consists of 21 cannon fires. During colonial British reign in India the following head of states had 21 Gun salutes:
[edit] BangladeshIn Bangladesh the salute consists of 21 cannon fires where it is assumed that the number '21' mostly hails the legacy of the 21 February Martyr's Day (presently known as International Mother Language Day). In fact the number '21' gets a special honor in the culture and heritage of Bengali speaking population as their language got honor to be the state language of Pakistan through a popular campus procession on 21 February, 1952. The procession saw an armed police barricading where demonstrators including five students where martyred at indiscriminate police firing to crowd. Since then along with the trend of 21-gun salute, many cultural customs in Bangladesh and West Bengal consist of contents largely related to the mentioned event as well as the number '21'. 21-gun salute in Bangladesh is generally used in cases,
[edit] CanadaAs a member of the Commonwealth, the gun salutes are used at special holidays, state funerals and visits by the Royal Family in Canada. 21 guns salutes are used for
and on the holidays
The Prime Minister, heads of foreign missions, foreign heads of government, and the Vice President of the United States are entitled to a 19 gun salute.[1] A 17-gun salute is given to the Canadian Minister of National Defense when visiting a saluting station (limited to once a year), as well as foreign ministers of defense.[1] A 15-gun salute is given on certain occasions for the Lieutenant Governors of provinces. [edit] IsraelIn Israel the practice of gun salute has been eliminated since Israel has suffered many terror attacks [1] and thus the firing of arms has a negative connotation. The 3-volley salute is still used in military funerals. [edit] United Kingdom21-gun salutes mark special royal occasion throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, referred to as a "Royal Salute" (in the British Empire it was reserved, mainly among colonial princely states, for the most prestigious category of native rulers of so-called salute states), unless rendered to the president or flag of a republic; nonetheless salutes rendered to all heads of state regardless of title are casually referred to as "royal" salutes. The number of rounds fired in a salute depend on the place and occasion. The basic salute is 21 rounds. In Hyde Park and Green Park an extra 20 rounds are added because they are Royal Parks. At the Tower of London 62 rounds are fired on royal anniversaries (the basic 21, plus a further 20 because the Tower is a Royal Palace and Fortress, plus another 21 'for the City of London') and 41 on other occasions. The Tower of London probably holds the record for the most rounds fired in a single salute — 124 are fired whenever the Duke of Edinburgh's birthday (62 rounds) coincides with the Saturday designated as the Queen's official birthday (also 62 rounds). Gun salutes occur on:
Gun salutes also occur when Parliament is prorogued by the Sovereign, on Royal births and when a visiting Head of State meets the Sovereign in London, Windsor or Edinburgh. Military saluting stations are Hyde Park, the Tower of London and Woolwich in London; also York, Colchester, Plymouth and Dover Castle in England, Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle in Scotland, Cardiff in Wales and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. Salutes are also fired in Gibraltar[2][3]. In London, salutes are fired in Hyde Park and The Tower of London; on State Visits, at the State Opening of Parliament and for The Queen's Birthday Parade, Green Park is used instead of Hyde Park. In Hyde Park, the salute is fired by The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery. The first round is fired at noon (11am on The Queen's official birthday). At the Tower of London, the salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company at 1pm. Salutes in Northern Ireland are usually fired at Hillsborough Castle by 206 (Ulster) Battery, although recently they have also been fired at HMS Caroline in Belfast Harbor. 19-gun salutes are used for 5-star generals, ambassadors, and heads of government (e.g., the Prime Minister). [edit] United StatesA myth common in the United States of America relative to the origin of this tradition is that the year 1776 inspired the 21-gun salute because the sum of the digits in 1776 is 21 (i.e., 1+7+7+6 = 21). This, however is not true. Beginning in the colonial period, the United States fired one shot for each state in the Union as its national salute. This practice was partly a result of usage, because John Paul Jones saluted France with 13 guns at Quiberon Bay in 1778 when the Stars and Stripes received its first salute. The practice was not officially authorized until 1810, when the United States Department of War declared the number of rounds fired in the 'National Salute' to be equivalent to the number of states -- which, at the time was 17. The tradition continued until 1841 when it was reduced from 26 to 21.  In 1842, the United States declared the 21-gun salute as its 'Presidential Salute.' While the 'National Salute' had been formally established as the 21-gun salute, the current tradition holds the salute on Independence Day to be a 50 rounds -- one round for each state in the union. This 'Salute to the Nation' is fired at noon on 4 July, on U.S. military installations, while the U.S. Navy full-dresses ships and fires 21 guns at noon on 4 July, as well as on Presidents' Day. On Memorial Day, batteries on military installations fire a 21-gun salute to the nation's fallen. As well, batteries at Naval stations and on ships, fire a salute of 21-minute guns and display the ensign at half-mast from 8 a.m. until completion of the salute. Today, a 21-gun salute is rendered on the arrival and departure of the President of the United States; it is fired in concordance with four ruffles and flourishes, which are immediately followed by Hail to the Chief -- the actual gun salute begins with the first ruffle and flourish, and 'run long' (i.e. the salute concludes after Hail to the Chief has ended). A 21-gun salute is also rendered to former U.S. Presidents, foreign Heads of State (or members of a reigning royal family), as well as to Presidents-elect. In such a ceremony, the national anthem of the visiting dignitary's country is played, following the salute. Each round in a gun salute is fired one at a time. The number of cannon used in a battery depends upon the intervals between each round fired. For example, a 3-gun battery has 2 of its guns firing, each at 5 second intervals between rounds, with 1 gun at the ready in case of a misfire; such a battery would be used at an Armed Forces Full Honors Funeral, or for State Arrival Ceremony of a foreign dignitary at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. A 4-gun battery has its first 3 guns firing rounds at 3 second intervals, with the 4th gun (again) at the ready in case of misfire. The U.S. Army Honor Guard Standard Operating Procedure for Gun salutes provides a 2-man gun crew (one loader, one gunner) for each cannon, as well as a 5-man 'staff' of soldiers to give the fire commands. The staff includes an Officer in Charge, a watchman (who marks the intervals and signals each gun to fire), an assistant watchman (as a backup), a counter (who keeps track of the number of rounds fired and signals the last round to the Officer in Charge), and a Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (who marches the battery into place as well as signals the backup cannon to fire in case another gun misfires). Naval vessels now have saluting guns installed which are used solely for such purpose. The traditional timing chant, "If I wasn't a sailor, I wouldn't be here. Fire #1," etc., has been replaced by stopwatch. 19-gun salutes are reserved for deputy heads of state, chiefs of staff, cabinet members, and 5-star generals. For each flag rank junior to a five-star officer, two guns are subtracted. (e.g., for a four-star admiral, a 17-gun salute is prescribed; a three-star general would rate a 15-gun salute; a two-star, 13-guns and a one-star, 11 guns.) [edit] Deaths of presidentsA U.S. presidential death also involves 21-gun salutes and other military traditions. On the day after the death of the president, a former president or president-elect—unless this day falls on a Sunday or holiday, in which case the honor will be rendered the following day—the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half hour, beginning at reveille and ending at retreat. On the day of burial, a 21-minute gun salute traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and materiel. Guns will be fired at one-minute intervals. Also on the day of burial, those installations will fire a 50-gun salute—one round for each state—at five-second intervals immediately following lowering of the flag. [edit] Media
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