Why did ancient Westerners fight with armor, but China had very little armor?

Ancient China and the West both fought with armor, but the differences between the two are more pronounced.

Chinese people pay attention to the battle formation, shield and spear with the cooperation of countless famous array, which is like the general Weiqi, the array interspersed with cavalry and chariots, the dynamics of the requirements are very obvious, heavy armor is not suitable for the ancient Chinese style of combat.

And Europe fights the formation to pay attention to less, pay attention to the single combat power, so the infantry heavy armor, can effectively avoid the loss of strength.

This characteristic has been present until modern times. Because China has many people, a wide range of land, the terrain is numerous, so the war depends on strategy and formation; Europe has a small population, underground, a single terrain, plains combat, most rely on brute force.

Secondly, ancient China is also everyone has armor, but some soldiers heavy armor, most still wear leather armor, cloth armor this lightweight and easy to manufacture armor, film and television dramas in order to improve the visual effect, often artistic, with robes instead of armor, looks more beautiful.

Expanded

China's armor evolution:

One, the Western Zhou armor

Western Zhou warriors wore the "practice armor" mostly thick silk sandwich thick cotton production, is the category of cloth armor.

Second, the Warring States armor

Warring States period of the armor made of cowhide, the general's armor is made of cowhide or bronze, the soldiers' helmets are made of cowhide helmets, in the Spring and Autumn and the late emergence of the iron armor and metal armor, to the period of the Warring States, the beginning of the universal use of metal armor. Qin's "soldiers" armor was made of iron, Zhao was made of copper or iron and metal, Wei, Chu, Western Zhou and Qi all used metal armor, but Korea and Yan were made of cowhide and rattan, and only a few were made of metal.

Three, the Qin dynasty armor

General's armor, chest, behind the unadorned armor, are painted geometric color pattern, seems to be a hard texture made of brocade, may also be made of leather painted on the pattern. The shape of the armor, the front chest hem in a sharp angle, back hem in a straight shape, leaving a wide margin around, also made of brocade or leather, with geometric patterns.

The most common armor in the Qin terracotta warriors, the chest of the armor are the upper piece of the lower piece of pressure, abdominal armor, are the lower piece of the upper piece of pressure, in order to facilitate the activities. From the center line of the chest and abdomen, all the armor pieces are stacked from the middle to the sides, and the combination of the shoulder armor pieces is the same as that of the abdomen.

The armor pieces around the shoulder, abdomen and under the neck are connected by an armor band, and all the armor pieces have armor nails, the number of which varies from two or three or four, with a maximum of no more than six. The length of the armor coat is equal in front and back. All 64 centimeters, its hem is generally more rounded, around the edge of no other application.

Four, Western Han armor

Western Han Dynasty, iron armor began to popularize, and gradually had been the main equipment for the army, this iron armor was called "Xuanjia". The Western Han Dynasty uniforms were similar to those of the Qin Dynasty in many ways, with the army wearing zen suits and pants regardless of seniority. The colors of the Han Dynasty military uniforms were red, reddish-red, and so on. The Han army was generally equipped with "ring-headed iron swords".

Fifth, the Wei and Jin armor

Wei and Jin period military clothing recovery chart. The left side of the iron tube sleeve armor, is a chest and back connected, short sleeves, with fish scale armor braided and become, the shape of the tube sleeve armor and the Western Han iron armor is very similar, from the head set through, this tube sleeve armor is hard and unparalleled.

The armor basically follows the form of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the top of the armor is decorated with tassels. The right side of the Wei and Jin dynasties of military uniforms, mainly robes and pants pleated clothing. The robe is knee-length, with wide sleeves. Pleats short to two crotch, tight small sleeves, robe, pleats are generally cross straight collar, right obeisance, but there are also round neck.

Six, North and South Dynasty armor

North and South Dynasty warrior restoration chart. Figure in the front row for two crotch armor, long to the knee, above the waist is the chest and back armor some with small pieces of armor braided and become, some with the whole piece of large pieces of armor, armor identity before and after the two pieces of the shoulder and both sides of the belt with the bundle. Figure two people in the back row of the armor worn by the armor for the chest and back of the Mingguang armor round protection about. Because most of this round protection made of copper and iron and other metals, and polished extremely light, rather like a mirror (heart mirror).

Seven, Sui armor

Sui-era use of the most common armor for the two crotch Kai and Ming Guang Kai. Two crotch Kai's structure than the previous generation has made progress, there are some small changes in the shape. General body armor full fish scales and other shapes of small armor compilation, the length has been extended to the abdomen, replacing the original leather armor skirt.

The hem of the body armor for the crescent-shaped, lotus leaf-shaped armor, to protect the abdomen. These improvements greatly enhanced the defense below the waist. The shape of the Mingguang Kai was basically the same as that of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, except that the leg skirts became longer and more ornate. The Sui Dynasty military uniform was a round-necked robe.

Eight, the Tang dynasty armor

Tang dynasty armor, used in actual combat, mainly iron armor and leather armor. In addition to iron armor and leather armor, the Tang dynasty armor is more commonly used, and silk cloth armor. Silk cloth armor is made of silk cloth textile armor, it is relatively lightweight structure, beautiful appearance, but no defensive ability, so it can not be used in actual combat only as the generals usually dress or ceremonial attire.

The early Tang armor and military uniforms are basically inherited from the style and form of the Sui Dynasty.

After Zhengan, a series of dress system reforms, gradually formed a Tang Dynasty style of military clothing.

Directly Zetian Wu Zhou Dynasty, the country's power is flourishing, the world peace, the upper group of luxury is becoming increasingly serious, most of the military uniforms and armor from the use of the function, evolved into a beautiful and luxurious, mainly decorative ceremonial dress.

"Anshi Rebellion" after the restitution to the jinjiaotiema era of the kind of practical state that is conducive to combat, especially armor, the late Tang Dynasty has formed a basic fixed form, the Tang Dynasty armor, according to the "Tang six canonical" records, there are bright light, light to be, fine scales, mountain text, bird hammer, white cloth, soap juan, cloth back, infantry, skin armor, Wooden armor, locks, horse armor and other thirteen kinds.

Which Mingguang, light to be, lock son, Shanwen, bird hammer, fine scale armor is iron armor, the latter three are named after the style of armor pieces. Leather armor, wooden armor, white cloth, soap juan, cloth back, on the other hand, is named after the manufacturing material. Among the armor, the Mingguang armor is still the most commonly used.

Nine, five generations of armor

Five Dynasties period basically inherited the system of the end of the Tang Dynasty, Mingguang armor has basically withdrawn from the stage of history, armor and all the armored compilation, the form into a two-piece suit. Shoulder and shoulder pads into one; chest and back armor and leg protection into another, with two straps before and after the tie, set on top of the shoulder pads. In addition, the Five Dynasties continued to use leather armor, which was made of large pieces of leather, and was worn with a helmet and a neck guard.

Ten, the Song dynasty armor

In terms of weight, the Song dynasty infantry armor (infantry armor) is the heaviest armor in Chinese history, according to the "General Summary of the Martial Arts" records, the Northern Song dynasty infantry armor by iron armor leaves with leather strips or nail connected and become, belong to the typical Za armor.

The 12th-century European lock armor weighed no more than 15 kilograms, and the Gothic full-body armor of the 15th century weighed only 20 kilograms. Although the 17th century the heaviest armor reached 42 kilograms, but the ordinary heavy three-quarters armor is only in the range of 20 - 30 kilograms, the scope of its protection including the whole body, in terms of the scope of protection, is the closest to the European heavy armor of Chinese armor, but did not reach the European heavy armor that kind of impenetrable degree of protection.

Song according to the Song Shaoxing four years (1134), the footman armor consists of 1,825 armor leaves, the total weight of 29KG, and can be increased by increasing the number of armor leaves to improve protection, but the weight will rise further. For this reason, the emperor himself gave an order to stipulate that the infantryman's armor should be limited to 29.8KG.

Thereafter, the weight of armor for lancers was set at 32-35KG; for archers, who were often involved in melee fighting, their armor was set at 28-33KG; and for crossbow archers, it was set at 22-27KG. Legend has it that the gold-plated armor worn by Emperor Taejo of the Song Dynasty weighed 60KG. The armor type of European infantry cavalry in the same period was still dominated by lock armor, which did not reach such a weight.

Around the Shaoxing decade, the Song army was at its most powerful. Famous generals such as Yue Fei and Han Shizhong led heavy infantry equipped mainly with iron armor and lances and strong crossbows, and repeatedly defeated the Jin Dynasty cavalry of the Jurchen tribe in dense formations.

Including weapons, the load of the heavy infantry of the Song army at that time was as high as 40-50KG, due to the over-equipped, mobility is affected, such as the battle of Yoyogao in Shaoxing eleven years (1141), the main force of the Song army of infantry, due to the heavy armors, and too grown up weapons, overload, and therefore failed to completely wipe out the Jin cavalry which had been routed.

Eleven, Yuan dynasty armor

Yuan dynasty armor has willow leaf armor, have iron Luo circle armor. Iron Luo circle armor inner layer made of cowhide, the outer layer of iron net armor, armor connected as fish scales, arrows can not penetrate, the production is extremely sophisticated. There are also leather armor, cloth armor.

There is only one kind of Rongfu, i.e., Qisunfu, which is a tight-fitting and narrow-sleeved robe with a cross-necked and square-necked collar, and two kinds of long and short ones, the long one reaching below the knee, and the short one reaching only the knee.

There is also a braided line jacket and the quality of the Sun suit is identical, but the hem is wide, folded with dense tucks, the other in the waist sewing to braid made of wide waist, some also nailed with buttons, commonly known as the "braided line jacket", or "waist line jacket". This kind of clothing is also the Yuan dynasty Mongolia military uniform, army generals and court guards, warriors can take.

Twelve, the Ming armor

Ming Dynasty sergeants dress there is a fat jacket, the system: "knee-length, narrow sleeves, inside the cotton", the color of red, so also known as "red fat jacket".

Knights wear lapel, in order to ride a horse. Combat helmet, mostly made of copper and iron, rarely use leather. Generals wear armor, also with copper and iron, the shape of the armor, mostly "mountain" pattern, production precision, wearing lightweight. Soldiers wear lock character armor, below the waist, also equipped with iron net skirt and net pants, foot wear iron net boots.

Thirteen, the Qing dynasty armor

Qing dynasty general helmet, either with iron or leather products, are painted on the surface. Helmet before and after the right and left each has a beam, forehead in the middle of the protruding piece of shade eyebrow, on which there is a dance engine and overlay bowls, bowls on the helmet plate shaped like a wine cup, helmet plate in the middle of a vertical insert tasseled gun, carving plume or otter tail with the iron or copper tubes.

After hanging stone green and other colors of the silk collar, neck and ear protection, embroidered with patterns, and decorated with copper or iron foam nails. Armor is divided into armor and a round garment. Armor shoulder pads, shoulder pads under the armpits; another in front of the chest and behind the back of a wear a piece of metal heart mirror, mirror under the front lapel of the seam wear another piece of trapezoidal abdominal protection, called "front block". The left side of the waist wear "left block", the right side does not wear a block, reserved for wearing a bow and arrow capsule and so on.

The robe is divided into two panels, one for the left and one for the right, and is worn with a belt tied around the waist. In the center between the two garments, there is a tiger's head covering the knee with the same material.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia - Armor