When it comes to Hufu cavalry archery, many people know that this is a unique type of military that shocked the world during the Warring States Period. But do you know who the real inventor and leader of Hufu cavalry archery is?
In 353 BC, Sun Bin defeated the Wei army with the tactic of besieging Wei to save Zhao, but the Zhao capital Handan was still captured by Wei. Two years later, King Hui of Wei and Marquis Zhao Chenghou met in Zhangshui south of Handan, and Marquis Zhao was forced to accept a humiliating treaty, and the Wei army withdrew from Handan. The following year, Marquis Zhao Chenghou died, and Marquis Su of Zhao ascended the throne, and he was known as the "King of Zhongxing" of Zhao. When Qi, Chu, and Qin entered the strategic stage against the Three Jins, Wei's century-old hegemony gradually declined. In the annexation war with the princes, Marquis Su of Zhao successively captured the Gaotang Dynasty of Qiyi and the capital of Wei, and became the new overlord of the north.
In 308 BC, Marquis Su of Zhao died, and his son King Wuling of Zhao ascended the throne. King Wuling of Zhao participated in the "Five Kingdoms Prime Minister" activity initiated by Gongsun Yan and officially became king. During his reign, the Warring States were in the midst of a period of fierce annexation wars. Because Zhao was harassed by nomads such as Lin Hu and Lou Fu all the year round, he began to implement Hufu cavalry shooting. The Hu people wore short clothes and long trousers, and they came and went quickly, bending bows and arrows freely, and it was easy to get on and off their horses, while the clothes worn by the Zhao people had long sleeves and fat waists, wide and wide collars, plus cumbersome ligature and heavy armor. Mobility is very difficult. And the composition of the army is also dominated by armored soldiers and chariots in robes and coats, and there are few cavalry. King Wuling of Zhao decided to summon his ministers to discuss the adoption of Hu costumes, so that the army could learn to ride horses and shoot arrows, so as to facilitate battle.
Many ministers objected, believing that changing the dress habits involved the etiquette and religious customs of the Central Plains since ancient times, and could not be easily changed. And the minister Feiyi believes that to do anything, too many concerns can not succeed, if you want to learn Hufu riding and shooting, you don't have to worry about the old habits of the forces of discussion, and since ancient times, customs and habits are not unchangeable, Shun, Yu has learned from Miao, Lu and other tribes to learn and change customs, Zhao Wuling King listened to Feiyi's words, strengthened his determination, and took the lead in Hufu.
After the implementation of Hufu began, some people led by Zhao Cheng, the son of Wang's uncle, tried their best to obstruct it, and King Zhao Wuling personally went to the house of his son Zhao Cheng to persuade him, and finally persuaded Zhao Cheng to accept King Zhao Wuling's proposition and was willing to take the lead in Hufu. However, the princes of the royal family, Zhao Wen, Zhao Zao, Zhao Jun, and the minister Zhou Zao, still opposed this reform, accusing King Wuling of Zhao of changing the ancient law, which was a major sin. King Wuling of Zhao used a large number of facts to explain the benefits of Hufu, and Zhao Wen and others had no choice but to agree to Hufu. This reform was also quickly embraced by the people. The prince Zhao Yan did not change his Hu Fu for a long time, and the King of Zhao was ready to punish him to show the world, Zhao Yan was so frightened that he repeatedly confessed his guilt and immediately served Hu Fu.
After the successful reform of Hufu, King Wuling of Zhao immediately formed cavalry, learned to ride horses and shoot arrows, and soon made cavalry the main force of the Zhao army. In 305 BC, King Wuling of Zhao led an army to attack Zhongshan and forced Zhongshan to sue for peaceIn 300 BC, he attacked Zhongshan again, expanding the land to Yan and Dai in the north, and Yunzhong and Jiuyuan in the west. By 299 BC, when King Wuling of Zhao abdicated the throne to his son King Huiwen of Zhao, the state of Zhao was still the same"Seven Heroes"one of the powerhouses.
King Zhao Wuling's "Hufu Cavalry Shooting" is a great change in the ancient military history of our country, and it has also become a part of the later Han national uniform, which has been used for more than 2,000 years.