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Chapter 60 The Infantry in Battle

When infantry engage in battle with chariot and calalry, they must rely on hills and mounds, ravines and defiles. The long weapons and strong crossbows should occupy the fore; the short weapons and weak crossbows should occupy the rear, firing and resting in turn. Even if large numbers of enemy chariots and cavalry should arrive, they must maintain a solid formation and fight intensely while skilled soldiers and strong crossbowmen perpare against attacks from the rear.

Interesting to note that they had different degrees of crossbow strengths.
Ive seen references in other works that the Chinese had mounted crossbowmen. This would explain weaker crossbows, being able to string them while mounted on a hourse. As well as a faster reload time while in the field.
I imagine that a crossbow could be fired with one hand, if it were balanced. This could be an advantage if fireing while riding a horse.

Wu Chi (called Wu-tzu in later generations). Wu Chi never was never defeated in battle and rarely suffered the ignominy of a stalemate. His most notable achievements as governing and holding the West Ho region, pacifying Yueh (the south China regiion), commanding forces of Lu to gain an overwhelming victory against Chi, leading Wei numerous times to thrash Chins growing power, and stabilizing the government of Chu. Thus his views and methods, to the extent that they may be preserved in Wu-tzu, are not merely theoretical but were founded and thoroughly tested in reality.

As great as Wu Chi was he had his flaws--Wu Chi a native of Wey, loved military operations. He once studied with Tseng-tzu, then went on to serve the ruler of Lu. When the state of Ch'i attacked Lu, Lu's ruler wanted to commission Wu Chi as a general, but since he had taken a women of Ch'i as his wife Wey's advisors were suspicious. Thereupon Wu Chi who wanted to become famous, KILLED his wife to show he had no connection with Ch'i. Lu finally appointed him as a general, and in this capacity he attacked Ch'i destroying there forces.

Was this a sign of loyalty or intense ambition.

Source: The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, by Ralph D. Sawyer 1993, Westview Press

Former/Western Han Dynasty (Qian-Han, Xi-Han) (206-8 SD)

Liu Bang (206/02-195 BC), king of Han, succeeded in destroying one by one and finally established the Han Dynasty with its capital at Chang'an (today Xi'an) in 202 BC. Nonetheless, among Liu Bangs companions, many strove to become emperor themselves, like Han Xin (Hann Xin). Bound by unceasing military campaigns against rebels, Liu Bang had to rely on his good ministers and his empress, Lu Zhi (Lü Hou). After Liu Bang's sudden death during a campaign, Empress Lu (187-180 BC) took over the reign for his weak son Huidi (194-188 ) BC and two minor emperors. This ruling woman was blamed later for having usurped the throne of the Liu clan. But contemporary historians state that her reign brought an end to a period of permanent warfare that had stretched down from the beginning of the Warring States period in the 5th century until the begin of the 2nd century BC. The palace intrigues of Empress Lu's reign had no effect upon the peaceful years under her rule that laid the foundation for a prospering, expanding empire.

Emperor Han Wendi (179-157 BC) abolished the harsh laws of the Qin time like mutilation and clan responsibility that were still in use, and he lowered taxes. The kingdoms that were in the hands of imperial princes (wang) should become a threat for the central government (154 rebellion of seven kingdoms) and were thus reduced in power and size by Emperor Han Jingdi (156-141 BC) Invasions of the nomadic steppe people Xiongnu under a strong chief called shanyu Modu. Emperor Wudi "the Martial" (140-87 BC) had to exploit his empire by rising taxes and tolls because of the never ending wars with the Inner Asian people. His modernist politics focused on expanding the imperial territory and and power of the empire. Campaigns against the southern tribes (kingdom of Dian in modern Yunnan) lead to the foundation of Chinese colonies in the north of modern Vietnam (commanderies Jiaozhi Jiuzhen and Rinan ;Vietnamese Giao ChiÒ, Curu Chan and Nhaòt Nam). Chinese troops occupied the northern part of Korea (commanderies Xuantu, Bohai, Lelang, Lintun, and Zhenfan, Korean Hyondo, Parhae, Nangnang, Imdun and Chinbŏn; the last two commanderies were only run for a very short time and then again occupied by the Korean tribes Mahan, and Chinhan) and could finally smash the coaliton of the Xiongnu steppe rulers. Chinese military colonies (tuntian were established in modern Xinjiang (Xiyu Duhufu "Protectorate of the Western Territories, the commandery most to the west was Dunhuang) to control a great part of the Silk Road (sichou zhi lu) that was up to then wholly in the hands of Inner Asian kingdoms. To appease the steppe peoples, huge amounts of silk and princesses were given as gifts of inter-state harmony (heqin). Because the rule of Emperor Wudi had exhausted his empire, his successors laid great stress on fiscal austerity. Expansion and wars with Inner Asia were not more in the limelight of daily politics. The outer threat by the steppe people was actually ended when the Xiongnu divided into two rivalizing groups in 43 BC. Succession struggles that had overshadowed the rule of the "Martial" Han Wudi (140-87 BC) Emperor were now followed by intrigues of consorts and their families. The strong statesman of Emperor Zhaodi's (86-74 BC) reign was Huo Guang who could marry his own daughter to the emperor. His mighty family was finally executed during the reign of Emperor Xuandi (73-49 BC). His follower Yuandi (48-33BC) was a weak person that was under the influence of his consorts, the sisters Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede. The family that finally could take over the rule was the Wang clan.


Great battles during the Han:
Ok this is everything I have on Han Chinese military activity

B.C.E.

221         Qi falls to Qin; Qin conquest of China completed armaments melted and made into 12 huge statues at Xianyang Qin general Meng Tian defeats Xiongnu under Shanyu Touman in Ordos
221-210         Qin destroy city walls & other fortifications Meng Tian builds Great Wall Meng Tian conquers Ordos, campaigns vs. Rong & Di barbarians
219         Lingqu canal built to aid military campaigns in south
219-210         Qin creates 3 to 4 new commanderies in south
209         Chen Shengs rebellion breaks out in former kingdom of Chu Uprisings in former states Qi, Yan, Han, Wei, Zhao
208         Qin general Zhang Han defeats Chen Sheng near Xianyang Qin armies besiege Julu in Zhao Xiang Yu defeats Qin at Julu & becomes leader of anti-Qin armies
207         Zhang Han surrenders to Xiang Yu Liu Bang takes Xianyang
206         Xiang Yu burns & loots Xianyang & kills entire Qin royal house; Qin falls Liu Bang defeats Xiang Yu's allies & retakes Guanzhong Liu Bang defeated at Xiang Yus capital Pengchang & barely escapes
204         Liu Bang surrounded by Xiang Yu's armies at Xianyang & barely escapes
203         Liu Bang surrounds & defeats Xiang Yu at Kaixia; Xiang Yu killed
202         Liu Bang defeats last of Xiang Yu's armies; rules as Han emperor Gaozu Gaozu moves Han capital to Chang'an for defensive purposes
200         Liu Bang (Gaozu, Gaodi or Cao-Ti) surrounded by Xiongnu at Pingcheng (Pei-Ting) & barely escapes
200        Battle of Pei-Ting northwest China. Cao-Ti was surrounded for several day in the fortress, until he concluded a treaty with Mao-Dun and gave him a daughter in marriage.
198-134         Policy of heqin in place: Han give Xiongnu gifts & princesses in exchange for peace
195         Han forces put down Lu Guan¹s revolt in NE
195-190         Chang'an city wall built
182-181         Xiongnu invade Longxi commandery
181         King of Nanyue invades Han kingdom of Changsha
177         Xiongnu invade through Ordos
174-161 The Hsiung-nu attack the Yüeh-chih (known in the West as the Tocharians), driving them from Gansu.
166         Xiongnu invade Anding commandery & reach summer palace at Yong
160         New system of beacons & lookout stations installed along Xiongnu frontier
158         Xiongnu attack Shang & Yunzheng commanderies in north
156         Han forces defeat rebellious king of Zhao
156-154         Revolt of 7 southern kingdoms vs Han
138-126         Zhang Qian's journey west to seek alliance with Greater Yuezhi against Xiongnu. The first Chinese diplomatic mission to the Ferghana Valley.
135         Tang Meng explores SW to establish Shu-Nanyue trade route
134         Xiongnu Shanyu Junchen narrowly avoids Han ambush at Mayi
129         Han attack on Xiongnu at border markets begins full-scale war
128         Han general Wei Qing defeats Weimo tribes in Korea & establishes commandery of Canghai
127         Wei Qing conquers Ordos New commanderies founded in NW after successful military campaigns
126         Han abandon Canghai commandery in Korea
125         Wei Qing repulses Xiongnu attack in Ordos
122         Han forces defeat rebellious king of Huainan King of Dian prevents Han expedition to India via SW
121         The Chinese, under General Ho Chu-ping, defeat the Xiongnu (Hsiung-nu). Han gain military access to Western Regions for 1st time
119         Wei Qing & Huo Qubing crush Xiongnu & drive north of Gobi
115         Zhang Qian leaves on 2nd expedition
112         Kingdom of Dongyue in SE attacks Han Han government abandons Minyue & Dongyue in SE
109-108         Han forces invade Korea & create 4 commanderies
108         Han forces put down rebellion in Nanyue; 9 new commanderies in south Han armies defeat Cherchen & Turfan in Turfan depression
107         Xiongnu suspend all raids in hopes of gaining marriage alliance with Han
106         Diplomatic ties are established between the Chinese and the Persians.
106         Kingdom of Koguryô forces partial Han withdrawal from Korea
104         Jiuquan & Zhangyi commanderies founded to guard silk route
104         General Li Guangli defeat Xiongu and occupies Uyghuristan.
103         Han government offers tax exemptions to horse breeders to supply military horses
101         Han general Li Guangli takes Ferghana in Western Regions
99         Han general Li Ling defeated & surrenders to Xiongnu Uyghuirstan regains independence.
91         Fighting in Chang'an between Wei and Li families
90         Li Guangli defeated & surrendes to Xiongnu Turfan submits to Han
86         Yizhou commandery in south rebels
83-82         Revolt in Yizhou commandery
82         Partial Han withdrawal from Korea and Hainan island
78         Han general Fan Mengyu makes retaliatory attack vs. Wuhuan people
72-71         Han-led coalition defeats Xiongnu in Western Regions
67         Han reconquers Turfan
59         Gerneral Chang Chi defeats Xiongnu and re occupies Uyghuristan.
52         Xiongnu Shanyu Huhanye surrenders to Han
51         The Hsiung-nu split into two hordes, with the Eastern Horde subject to China
46         Han government abandons Hainan after rebellion
42         Han official Feng Fengshi suppresses rebellion of Qiang in west
36         Han generals defeat combined N. Xiongnu & Sogdiana armies along silk route & kill Shanyu Zhizhi, possibly capture Roman soldiers acting as mercenaries.
28-25         Han put down revolt in Yizhou commandery

C.E.
6         Regent Wang Mang's forces crush revolt of a Liu marquis
7         Wang Mang's army puts down Zhai Yi's rebellion
10         Xiongnu retake Uyghuristan
9-10         Wang Mang's forces quash rebellions by Liu family members
12         Wang Mang defeats kingdom of Koguryô in Korea
13         Karashahr in west revolts
14         Wang Mang defeats rebellious aborigines in Yizhou commandery in south
16         Chinese expeditionary force defeats Karashahr
18         Red Eyebrow peasant rebels defeat Wang Mang's troops in Shandong
22         Red Eyebrows defeat Wang Mang's invasion force in Shandong Wang Mang crushes forces of rebel Liu Bosheng
23         Liu Bosheng decisively defeats Wang Mang Han troops under Liu Xiu annihilate Wang
24         Mang's forces at Kunyang Chang'an falls to local rebellion; Wang Mang killed
25         Red Eyebrows take Chang'an Liu Xiu takes Luoyang & makes it Han capital; rules as emperor Guangwu Xiongnu reassert control in Western Regions
26         Warlord Wei Ao defeats Red Eyebrows trying to escape Chang'an
26-30         Guangwu captures Southern plain and Shandong peninsula
27         Red Eyebrows surrender to Guangwu's forces in Chang'an pass
29         Guangwu suppresses uprisings on North China plain Yangzi & Han River valleys submit to Guangwu
34         Guangwu pacifies NW
35         Guangwu's naval forces burn rival Gongsun Shu's bridge over Yangzi Ma Yuan subdues rebellion of Qiang tribes in Longxi
36         Guangwu's army defeats & kills Gongsun Shu at Chengdu Guangwu has new fortifications built along Xiongnu frontier
38         More watchtowers and defense lines along Xiongnu border
40         Trung sisters of Nanyue revolt in Red River delta area, Viet suffering under rule of Han Governor To Dinh.
43         Han general Ma Yuan puts down Trung sisters' revolt in Nanyue
50         Southern Shanyu of Xiongnu becomes vassal of Han
57-75        Han Chinese armies under General Ban Chao conquered all the Xinjiang Oasis.
63         Xiongnu attacks force Han to re-open border markets
73         China joins with southern Shanyu to attack northern Shanyu Han general Dou Gu defeats Xiongnu & drives out of Turfan depression
74         Dou Gu routs Xiongnu & reoccupies Turfan
75         Revolt in Hami
76         Gen. Ban Chao was recalled back to Louyang
77         Chinese garrison in Hami withdraws Northern Xiongnu retake Western Regions
89         Han general Dou Xian & S. Xiongnu rout Xiongnu & retake Hami
92-102         Ban Chao establishes Han control over entire Turfan depression
94         Southern Shanyu rebels
97         Ban Chao crossed the Tian Shan and Pamir mountains with an army of 70,000 men to engage the Xiongnu (Huns) in an all-out battle
97         Chinese armies reach the Caspian Sea
102         Han suppresses major Qiang revolt in west
108         Qiang raids reach central China plain
109         Southern Shanyu rebels
110         Han abandon entire NW frontier to Qiang
111         Qiang raids reach central China plain Han forces pacify Qiang rebellion in Longxi & Jincheng area Liangzhou area revolts to Qiang