In the long history of China, the Qin Dynasty, as the first unified feudal dynasty, not only had a decisive influence on politics, economy and culture, but also made great progress in science and technology. Especially during the Warring States Period, frequent wars between countries promoted the rapid development of military technology, which provided strong technical support for the unification of the Qin Dynasty. This article will explore the Qin Dynasty's innovations in military technology during the Warring States period.
During the Warring States period, countries fought long-term wars for territory and hegemony. In order to gain superiority on the battlefield, various countries have increased their investment in military science and technology. During this period, many new weapons and equipment appeared, such as bows and arrows, spears, swords, etc. At the same time, the form of warfare has also undergone great changes, from simple infantry operations to coordinated operations of cavalry, vehicle soldiers, sailors, and other arms. These changes have put forward higher requirements for military technology.
One of the major innovations of the Qin Dynasty in military technology during the Warring States period was the improvement of crossbows. The crossbow is a long-range fire weapon that fires arrows with arrows. The advantage of a crossbow over a bow is that it has a longer range, more power, and a faster rate of fire.
The Qin Dynasty made a great deal of improvements to the crossbow, making it an important weapon on the battlefield. The structure of the Qin crossbow is more complex, with higher accuracy and greater power. At the same time, the Qin Dynasty also invented a weapon called the "repeater", which could fire multiple arrows at once, greatly increasing the lethality on the battlefield.
In addition to crossbows, the Qin Dynasty also made great progress in the manufacture of weapons, the iron weapons of the Qin Dynasty were of high quality, sharper and more durable than the previous copper weapons, and the Qin Dynasty also invented a weapon called the "Qin Sword", which was about a meter long and moderately wide, which was convenient for both swinging and stabbing. The manufacturing process of Qin Jian is very exquisite, and the surface has been specially treated to make it not easy to rust, and it is still extremely sharp even after being buried in the ground for more than two thousand years.
In addition to weapons, the Qin Dynasty also made great breakthroughs in war machinery, the Qin Dynasty invented a siege machine called "Cloud Ladder", which consists of a huge wooden frame and a ladder that can be climbed, which is used to climb over the city wall during the siege, and the Qin Dynasty also made a large war machine called "trebuchet", which can launch boulders weighing tens of kilograms and cause great damage to enemy walls and fortifications.
The Qin Dynasty's achievements in military engineering were also very significant. In order to defend against the invasion of the Xiongnu in the north, the Qin Dynasty built the famous Great Wall. The Great Wall is about 12,000 kilometers long, with a number of beacon towers and castles along the route, forming a tight border defense system, and the Qin Dynasty also built many other military projects, such as the Ling Canal, the Zhengguo Canal, etc., these water conservancy projects are not only conducive to agricultural production, but also can play a role in flood control and transportation of military rations in wartime.