Brief Description:  The bedil tumbak (sometimes spelled bedil tombak) is an early form of pole-mounted firearm originating from the Indonesian archipelago. It consists of a small hand cannon or swivel gun mounted atop a wooden shaft, bridging the gap between medieval hand cannons and polearms.

Key Characteristics:

Design: It features a cast metal barrel (typically made of bronze or brass) attached to a long wooden pole, allowing it to be planted in the ground or thrust directly at enemies.

Ignition: As an early black powder weapon, it lacked a trigger mechanism. It required direct manual ignition through a small touch hole, often protected by a rectangular ignition pan and cover.

Versatility: The combination of a firearm and a long pole functioned both as a blunt/piercing weapon and a ranged explosive device, highly effective in naval and infantry warfare before the widespread adoption of matchlocks.