Ancient Chinese history has continuously driven the in-depth study of armor, each presenting unique characteristics from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. In the early days of feudal society, wars were frequent, and cavalry played an important role on the battlefield, so higher requirements were put forward for the study of armor. Ancient armor can not only protect soldiers from damage, but also improve the combat effectiveness of soldiers, so it has become the focus of research. Among the various dynasties in ancient China, the Song Dynasty was the most perfect and mature period for the development of armor.
The Song Dynasty was a special period of economic and cultural prosperity in China's feudal society. Not only did the famous three great inventions appear, but the social economy also prospered, and the people lived a prosperous life. As a result, armor became the most rapidly developing and prosperous field during the Song Dynasty. According to historical records: "In May of the ninth year of Xining (1076), he broke 100,000 in Western Xia with 100,000 horsemen." During the Mongol and Yuan dynasties, cavalry played an extremely important role in Chinese history, becoming an important foundation for the Mongol iron cavalry to establish the Yuan Dynasty and providing an important guarantee for foreign expansion.
With the establishment of the Mongol Empire, the dominance of the Mongols in the Central Plains was strengthened. At the same time, the nomadic people gradually combined some advanced production methods with traditional agricultural production methods, and transformed traditional Chinese culture to a certain extent. As the basic equipment used and fought by the cavalry of the Mongolian army, armor can not only effectively protect the soldiers from damage, but also improve the combat speed and attack power of the soldiers to a certain extent.
After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongolian iron cavalry still had strong combat effectiveness in the Central Plains, but due to the long-term conquest of the battlefield and the small population base, the Mongolian iron cavalry often needed to rely on the strength of the Han army and the Song Dynasty army when fighting in the Central Plains. Therefore, in order to minimize the cost of use and combat risks, the Mongol iron cavalry formed a cooperative relationship with the Song Dynasty army, which was able to maximize their respective advantages. Types and characteristics of Mongolian armorThe armor used by the Mongolian army can be mainly divided into two types: hard armor and soft armor.
These two types of armor have obvious differences in characteristics. First of all, the hard armor used by the Mongol army was mainly plate armor, which was made up of many small pieces spliced together, and was generally composed of a combination of armor pieces and nails. In addition to plate armor, the Mongol army would also use a type of armor called chain mail, which consisted of many small pieces that were then spliced together and inlaid with some copper and iron plates on top of it, which had some defensive and offensive capabilities. The other type of soft armor is mainly leather, which is then inlaid with some metal and copper plates.
This armor is generally made of cowhide, horseskin, and tendon, which are then sewn together. Since this armor is generally worn by horses, it is also known as horse armor. Despite being mainly made of leather, metal was used in the main part of the armor, and some metal and iron plates were inlaid on it to strengthen its defenses. Comparative analysis of Mongolian armor and Song Dynasty armorAlthough Mongolian armor and Song Dynasty armor are both armor, there are great differences in the way of use and function.
In terms of appearance, the Mongolian armor showed an irregular shape, while the Song Dynasty armor showed a regular shape. Since both the Mongol and Song dynasties were at war, Mongol armor was more varied in shape. The difference in functionality was mainly due to the different circumstances and states in which the war took place at that time. The Mongol Empire faced threats from all sides, so the armor needed to be highly defensive, which resulted in the Mongol army not being very heavy.
With the frequent occurrence of foreign wars in the Mongol Empire and the spread and deepening of Han culture in the Mongol army, the armor of the Mongol army has been greatly improved in terms of defense and solidity. The army of the Song Dynasty was mainly defensive, so the choice of armor focused on defense and solidity. The inheritance and development of the Mongolian cavalry in the Mongol and Yuan dynasties and the armor of the Song Dynasty reflect the inheritance and development of traditional Chinese culture by the nomads, and also show the characteristics of their transformation of their own culture under the trend of the times.
During the Song Dynasty, due to the relatively stable war environment, more attention was paid to lightness and flexibility when choosing armor, and more attention was paid to the protection of the individual defense ability of soldiers, rather than the pursuit of solidity as in the Mengyuan and Yuan dynasties. Although the Mongolian cavalry was strong in the era of cold weapons, its armor performance was not ideal. In contrast, Song Dynasty armor was more practical, and the armor of the Mongol cavalry, although superior to a certain extent, could not be compared with Song Dynasty armor.
The Mongol cavalry had been fighting on the battlefield for a long time, and the armor was worn, and although the performance had improved, it was still inevitable. The armor of the Mengyuan period consisted of armor, armor, and protective gear, which were varied and fine, and the main material was metal, and may have used rattan, felt, etc. On the battlefield, the Mongol army was dominated by cavalry, which needed to inflict casualties on enemy soldiers, so the demand for armor was high, and it was necessary to not only make armor in large quantities, but also use a large amount of armor in battle. The development of armor during the Mongol and Yuan dynasties became an indispensable equipment for the cavalry of the Mongol army.
Although the armor of the Mongol and Yuan dynasties was not as advanced compared to the Song dynasty, it was still crucial in warfare. However, there are significant differences between the armor of the Mengyuan and Yuan dynasties and the armor of the Song dynasty, and there are also many aspects of inheritance. The armor of the Mengyuan period underwent a large-scale transformation, with more emphasis on overall practicality. The appearance of Mengyuan armor is not only an important guarantee for the expansion of the nomads, but also an important means of defense against the nomads in the Central Plains.
During the Mengyuan Dynasty, cavalry armor not only protected the soldiers from damage to a certain extent, but also enhanced the combat ability of the cavalry to a certain extent. At the same time, the emergence of cavalry armor in the Mengyuan and Yuan dynasties was also an important embodiment of the reform of the military system in the Central Plains. The emergence of Mengyuan armor not only promoted the reform of the military system in the Central Plains, but also effectively protected the safety of people's lives and property in the Central Plains.
Therefore, the cavalry armor of the Mengyuan Dynasty and the reform of the military system in the Central Plains influenced and promoted each other, enhanced the military strength and strength of the Central Plains, and ensured the safety of the lives and property of the people in the Central Plains. Mengyuan armor also had a great impact on the economy, culture and other aspects of the Central Plains. Therefore, the unique characteristics of the Mengyuan armor are not only the unique advantages of the Mongol cavalry in the process of foreign expansion, but also the special advantages of the economic culture of the Central Plains in the process of nomadic invasion.
The characteristics of cavalry armor in the Mongol and Yuan dynasties and their influence on later generations were far-reaching. The history of the development of armor is a microcosm of the development of human civilization, and each dynasty has its own unique characteristics. The development history of ancient armor in China is also very long, metal armor has appeared in the Shang Dynasty, and relatively perfect metal armor has appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. By the Qin and Han dynasties, metal armor gradually increased, but both metal armor and composite armor had their own unique characteristics.
In the Mengyuan period, due to the country's long-term war, great changes have taken place in terms of equipment. The armor of the Mengyuan period was not fully developed as before, and it could not meet the needs of cavalry combat, which was a problem in the development of armor. However, on the whole, the armor of the Mongol and Yuan dynasties has been continuously developed, which has greatly improved its combat capabilities. The above information can be used as a reference to understand the development of armor in the Mengyuan and Yuan dynasties.