THE LANTAKA MOST PROBABLY EVOLVED FROM WHAT IS SOMETIMES REFERED TO AS A HAND CANNON. THE HAND CANNON DATES TO THE LATE 13TH CENTURY IN EGYPT AND CHINA AND WAS USED UNTIL AT LEAST THE 1520'S IN EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST. THE EARLIEST WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF MILITARY USE DATES TO THE BATTLE OF AIN JALUT IN 1260 WHERE THE EGYPTIANS USED THEM TO REPEL THE MONGOLS. THEY WERE CALLED MIDFA IN ARABIC THERE WAS ALSO A CHINESE NAME FOR THEM BUT AS IT IS WRITTEN IN CHINESE I CAN'T INCLUDE IT. THE RANGE GIVEN FOR THESE WAS 50 TO 300 METERS, DEPENDING ON THE CALIBRE AND TYPE OF POWDER USED. SOME OF THE EARLY CHINESE ONES WERE VERY ORNATE SHAPED LIKE DRAGONS AND SUCH AND WERE PROBABLY USED ONLY FOR CEREMONYS AND OF COURSE ONLY OWNED BY THE RULERS. THEY WERE ADAPTED TO USE ON SHIPS EARLY ON DUE TO THEIR PORTABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS AT CLOSE RANGE FOR CLEARING DECKS AND DAMAGING SAILS OR DAMAGING STEARING.
NOTE THAT MANY LANTAKA HAVE A HOLE IN THE REAR TO PLACE A ROD IN TO GIVE LEVERAGE FOR TURNING AND AIMING AND ALSO TO PLACE THE ONE USING IT AT A SAFER POSITION WHEN FIREING. MOST HAND CANNONS ALSO HAVE THIS EXTENDED ROD FOR THE SAME REASONS AND I ASSUME SOME WERE EASILY REMOVED FOR EASIER TRANSPORT ALSO.
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