Where did the 21-gun salute come from?

Every year during Independence and Republic Day, the Indian Tricolour is accorded a 21-gun salute. This year is special since it is the first time that the gun salute will feature an indigenous howitzer, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), alongside British Artillery Guns.

ATAGS is developed by the Armament and Combat Engineering (ACE), a part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)  in Pune. ATAGS is a home-grown 155 mm x 52 calibre howitzer gun that will be used to give the 21-gun salute. 

The ATAGS project was started in 2013 by ACE in order to replace the older guns in service in the Army with modern artillery guns. It collaborated with Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd for the manufacturing of this specialised gun. 

What is a 21-gun salute? The 21-gun salute is used worldwide and is one of the highest honours given to any individual or entity. India has adopted the heritage of the 21-gun salute from the British. In fact, all the Commonwealth nations adopted this tradition from the British Empire. 

During the British Raj, India developed a formal hierarchical system of gun salutes. Before it gained independence, the hierarchy of salutes within British India stood as follows:

In India, out of the eight guns that are generally deployed for the salute, seven fire three rounds each. This year, some ATAGS guns will be part of the battery that will fire, along with some 25-pounders, or ‘Ordnance Quick Fire 25 Pounder’, a major British field gun and howitzer used during the Second World War, also the standard artillery gun which is used by India during this salute.

Evolution: Cannon salutes originated in the 14th century with the advent of firearms and cannons. As these early devices contained only one projectile, discharging them once rendered them ineffective, hence the 'all at once' firing tradition was practised.

In the early days, warships fired seven-gun salutes. Why the number seven was selected has been a debate, but people believe it was chosen because of its astrological and Biblical significance as a sign of peace offering to the enemy. 

The British navy ships and coastal defence used to meet and greet by firing in this order to send the message that “the port lacks any hostile intent and welcomes the ship”. 

Over time, as the quality of gunpowder improved, each side fired a total of 21 shots. This tradition was later adopted by the other services as well. 

How did the 21-gun salute come to India? There is no doubt that the British brought this tradition with them to India. As mentioned in the above table, the number of gun salutes represented the hierarchy of the post. 

Right now, receiving a 21-gun salute is the highest honour, which is also the international standard, and it can be received by the President of India. She/He is honoured with the 21-gun salute on several occasions. Every new president is honoured with this salute after their swearing-in ceremony. During Independence and Republic Day, the Indian National Flag and the President are both honoured with a 21-gun salute.