The metal armor worn by ancient soldiers can resist swords, why did the Qing Dynasty change to cotton armor? At the time when the Manchu Qing Dynasty was about to end, the children of the Eight Banners were idle all day and would not do anything, leaving an impression of only laziness in people's hearts.
Their ancestors in the early days of the Qing Dynasty were heroic and heroic, and they made great contributions, not only overthrew the previous dynasty and established their own regime, but also in the process of the Qing Dynasty's rule, they also put down some rebellions that suddenly occurred in the middle.
Logically speaking, such an invincible combat unit should also be very high-level in equipment, but they wear a vest made of cotton to participate in the battle. The metal armor looks invincible, but in fact it is not like this, and the cotton armor has a great advantage for the Qing army.
In the process of absolute battle with the Ming Dynasty, most of the enemy's army uses firearms, and firearms are also the most unfavorable for the cavalry, it just so happens that the most important thing for the Qing army is the cavalry, wearing metal armor, the whole person becomes much bulkier, fighting will have a great impact on the action, even the attack on firearms can not be resisted, and if it is cotton armor, there is no trouble in this regard.
The main material of cotton armor is cotton, and cotton is particularly easy to obtain in the Qing Dynasty, compared to the production of metal armor, the production of cotton armor is not only rich in raw material resources, reducing the cost of production, and the production process is relatively simple, so cotton armor will be more popular with Qing soldiers. In addition, cotton also has many advantages that metal materials cannot compare, metal in the summer, after the exposure of the sun, will only make the soldiers' bodies hotter, in the winter, but it becomes cold, it is even more inappropriate.
Although the cotton armor made of cotton will be hot in the summer, but at least it will not be cold in the winter, and some of the wars that occurred during the Qing Dynasty are mostly in the north, and the Qing Dynasty army has slowly begun to adapt to the peaceful climate after entering the Central Plains, and the weather in the north is relative to the south, it is difficult to adapt to the winter, for these soldiers, they have to rely on the warmth of the clothes to protect their bodies, so that the cotton armor has become a more suitable choice.
Moreover, the number of soldiers in the army is very large, and the cost of weekdays will certainly be very large, even if they eat very ordinary in peacetime, it will add up to a very huge amount of money, not to mention the generous treatment of these soldiers who defend their homes and defend the country. The cultivation of cotton in the Qing Dynasty can be seen everywhere, if you make cotton armor, you can first reduce the cost in this regard, which saves a large part of the imperial court's expenditure on the army.
Finally, and for a more critical reason, for infantry in the army, sometimes it is necessary to march long distances, and if you wear heavy metal armor, it is not a troublesome thing. Changing to lightweight cotton armor can save them a large part of their physical strength, which greatly reduces the burden on the road for them, and it is very necessary for this part of the soldiers. Otherwise, if you are tired enough to walk, how can you have other strength to fight the enemy on the battlefield with all your might!