Tang knife is so powerful, how to withdraw from the stage of history?

Any weaponry will not suddenly disappear, mostly because of changes in the shape, losing the original look, and can not be recognized, and the Tang sword will not disappear. "The Tang sword is no exception.

Three, summary

There is no one weapon can never die, even if their own excellent, there will be eliminated one day. The Tang sword was replaced by other weapons because of its high cost and its inability to adapt to the cavalry's heavy armor mode of combat, but it didn't really die out, and its many advantages were inherited by other weapons of later generations, which continued its glory in a new way.

Before answering this question, let's take a brief look at the Tang sword:

The Tang sword does not refer to a specific knife, but China's Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, the general name of the four kinds of military swords, respectively, is the Yi sword, the barricade knife, stranger knife and the horizontal sword, each kind of knife is different in length and shape, but without exception these four are the top of the war knife at that time.

According to the data records, the Tang sword shape from the Han Dynasty's ring head sword, the blade is straight, using the world's most advanced, most complex "package of steel sandwich steel overlay burn edge technology", cooked iron as the outer skin, the middle of the mixture of steel, the blade of the unique overlay burn edge quenching technology, so that the Tang sword as a whole outside the toughness of the inner toughness, the blade is sharp and the edge of the Tang sword. Internal toughness, the blade is sharp and tough, can break through all the armor at that time, the knife body toughness is great, not easy to break.

The Tang sword has been called "the pinnacle of the Cold War period" by many historians, and has played an extremely important role in one battle after another. In 747 A.D., the Tang Army conquered the Tubo, and Li Siye led the strangers in an invincible battle, decapitating more than 5,000 people and defeating the Tubo army. In the Battle of Baijiangkou in 663 AD, 10,000 Tang troops equipped with Tang swords nearly wiped out 50,000 Japanese invaders without any effort, which made the Japanese invaders honest for hundreds of years.

In many historical records, the Tang sword is often accompanied by the phrase "the men and horses were shattered", which shows its terrible power. However, after the Song Dynasty, the Tang sword gradually withdrew from the stage of history, it is reported that only Japan's Shosoin still collects a "gold and silver inlay Tang sword". Why did the Tang sword disappear? There are three main reasons:

First, the Song Dynasty emphasized civilian and military. Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin rely on mutiny to establish the Song dynasty, so the military generals quite distrust, always suspect that one day under the people will also rebel, so has been suppressed in the dynasty of military generals. Moreover, during the Song Dynasty, long weapons such as spears, long swords, axes and battle-axes to deal with cavalry began to appear in large numbers in the army, and the stranger's sword gradually replaced them.

Second, the Tang sword is too expensive. Tang sword forging process is complex, the work period is longer, the price is much more expensive than ordinary swords. Although the Song Dynasty has a lot of money, the court emphasizes the military, the Tang sword is not valued as a big killer.

Third, the Tang sword is difficult to repair. The Tang sword used the most advanced forging technology at the time, which also led to once the blade is broken and difficult to repair, not suitable for a wide range of equipment.

Because of this, known as the pinnacle of cold weapons, the Tang sword only in the period of the Tang Dynasty bloomed brilliant and short-lived light, and only the Tang rulers have the courage to be willing to take the Stranger Sword as a standardized weapon equipped with the army.

The Tang sword is an outstanding representative of the pinnacle of China's cold weaponry, and is one of the favorite knives of contemporary weapon collectors. However, as such a famous cold weapon in Chinese history, but not like its "descendants" - the Japanese sword, the world's three famous blade, but with the change of dynasties was submerged in the river of history, this is why?

Since the Han Dynasty, ancient Chinese soldiers began to use the sword, the original sword is to fight against the Xiongnu cavalry produced saber. The knives were straight-edged, and their practical effect was not as good as the curved knives used by the nomads. The reason for this is that one is easy to manufacture, and the other is to reflect the image of the soldier's uprightness.

By the Tang Dynasty, the smelting technology has made great progress, the style of the knife has changed, but still continues the straight-edged style. Only the blade is more slender, the handle is also extended, so that it can be held in both hands, so that the strength of both arms can be used, so the power of the knife is more powerful, the effect of combat is better.

Moreover, the Tang sword can have such a brilliant history, in addition to the continuation of the previous dynasty handed down the excellent craft and shape, the choice of materials is also an important reason. In this regard, the folk had circulated this legend ......

The steel was the best Damascus steel (a type of patterned steel) in the world during the Tang Dynasty, and was brought to China by Persian merchants. Just after entering the Jade Gate Pass, it was bought in its entirety by Tang officials at three times the price of normal steel. Then by the Tang army special escort to Chang'an, by the best sword maker repeatedly forging, hundred refined into steel, casting a straight blade.

Of course, this can not be called the Tang sword, but also to the body of the knife package, cladding, quenching, grinding ....... Finally, when the knife body formed a cloud-like pattern, and then descended its hands to another craftsman. That skilled craftsman jumped out of the good shogun to give this knife body measurements, make the most suitable sheath, handle. In to the knife handle and sheath wrapped in leather and gold and silver wire, fitted with rings and hooks, and finally in the knife with gold inlaid with seven big words: "gold and silver Dianzhuang Tang long", four small words: "ZhenGuan two years", then, the real Tang knife is considered to be the final casting is completed.

According to the "Tang six canon" (also known as "six canons of the Tang" written in 738) Volume 1 of the six Wukou order Excel job records: the system of the knife has four, one is said to be the instrument knife, two is said to be the barrier knife, three is said to be the horizontal knife, four is said to be the Stranger's knife. In other words, the book recorded in the Tang sword has four styles.

ritual knife : mainly in the important ceremonial occasions. From the tomb of Prince Yi De Tang and Princess Changle tomb in the mural can be seen wearing a ceremonial knife guards. The knife body is long, the knife file is obvious diamond-shaped, in the sheath is usually carved a lot of gold and silver dragons and phoenixes as decoration. In addition, the ring on the hilt of the knife is also an important feature that distinguishes it from the horizontal knife and the barrier knife.

Barrier Sword and Horned Sword: These were the swords of the guards and common soldiers, and were mass-produced weapons. According to the "Tang six canon" records, the barricade knife, cover the use of barricade body to defend the enemy; horizontal knife, soldiers wear the knife. It can be seen, the barrier knife should be a short knife, its role is mainly defensive, while the horizontal knife should be more commonly used in combat and offense, so the length is similar to the normal sword. The Tang law also mentioned that "the government soldiers warriors have their own sword", since it is on the battlefield to fight, it must not use a short sword.

Stranger's Sword: "long sword, infantry held, cover the ancient broken horse sword". For this knife, folk circulated a variety of versions. But because of the then Tang Dynasty weapons can not become buried goods, also did not use the mural information as a reference. So for touching the style, can only be inferred from the above description.

Two Tang swords - the Seven Star Sword and the Water Dragon Sword - are still preserved in Shokurain in Japan today, and were gifts from the Tang Dynasty to Japan at that time.

At that time, Japan had already obtained the smelting process of the Han sword, but when the Emperor of Japan saw the Tang sword, but also very surprised; only the Middle Kingdom can cast such a fine sword. So, Japan began to learn the Tang sword forging methods, and improve, so there is today one of the world's three famous sword - the Japanese sword.

The advantages of the Japanese sword is sharp and high hardness, the disadvantage is the high cost, can not be repaired, which is in addition to the name. The Tang sword, the originator of the Japanese sword, also has these advantages and disadvantages.

The Tang sword process is complex, resulting in the cost is too expensive, so in the history of China, only the very strong Tang Dynasty can afford to use such sophisticated weapons. It is documented that many famous people in the Tang Dynasty even spent all their money to get a well-made Tang sword.

It can be seen that the mass production of all kinds of Tang swords also brought a lot of pressure on the society at that time. Moreover, few of the later dynasties had a national strength comparable to that of the Tang Dynasty, so the decline of the Tang sword, though a pity, is reasonable.

Coupled with the end of the Tang dynasty after the rebellion, to the establishment of the Zhao Song dynasty, China's political trend towards a more civilized and light military, the Tang sword this expensive weapons naturally difficult to appear again.

The history of the development of the Tang sword is the history of the development of the Tang dynasty, with the prosperity of the Tang dynasty and prosperity, with the decline of the Tang dynasty and decline.

Tang sword

Tang sword, it is the Tang dynasty four in the military sword system collectively, according to the "Tang six canon - Wukou order" in the record, the Tang army used four kinds of knives, respectively, for the ceremony sword, barricade sword, horizontal sword and strangers sword.

One of the most powerful and lethal is the Stranger's Sword. The history of the use and promotion of the Stranger's Sword is an aspect of the history of Tang's founding and foreign wars, and the history of the opening of the heavens and martial arts. Although there were four types of swords in the Tang Dynasty, only the Stranger's Sword was the only weapon that really played a role on the frontier. With the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the weakening of the state, the Tang sword also disappeared.

The Tang Stranger's Sword as an army sword, the biggest role is to combat, its production process is strict, and also take into account another use in combat, that is, to break the armor and durability. Armor requires hardness and narrow edge, durability requires toughness, so the Tang sword used the most advanced steel process. Cooked iron as the outer skin, sandwiched in the middle of the hundred refined steel, part of the edge of the use of local quenching technology, that is, covering the earth burning edge. The edge is hard enough to chop and break armor, while the blade is tough enough not to be deformed and durable.

1 low yield

2 expensive

Rare is expensive, the Tang sword inherited the fine tradition of Chinese knives, in the absorption of folded steel and local quenching technology, but also the extensive use of expensive composite steel technology. The general public simply can not afford to buy, only those princes and nobles can consume, and in this way proud, show off their strength, as a symbol of identity and status.

3 strict government control

Stranger sword manufacturing complex, cumbersome process, the cost is too large, so the Tang government on the Stranger sword management is extremely strict. Even emperors and generals, after death can not be brought into the tomb, so in today's excavation of the Tang Dynasty tomb, always can not find the Stranger Sword.

4 Weakness of the Tang Dynasty

The evolution of war weapons actually evolved with the development of the form of war, with the strength and decline of the country and change . Tang sword, it shows a kind of atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty, when the Tang Dynasty, the country is strong, economically developed, there is absolutely a large number of manufacturing and can be equipped with the Tang sword in the army, after the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty is in ruins, the national strength of the recession step by step, there is no continue to be equipped with a large number of the Tang sword, the luxury of the Tang sword gradually withdrew from the stage of history.

The impact of new weapons

The survival of the fittest, the decline of the Tang sword, in addition to its own luxury, and the impact of new weapons.

The Song Dynasty was a prosperous economic and technological development of the dynasty, many "high-tech" came into being, pear flower gun, the sacred arm bow, cannons and so on. Chinese cold weapons began a new round of development, a large number of new spears, swords, axes and battle-axes, was born and armed the Song army, the magnificent Stranger's Sword became a luxury war equipment.

And the Song dynasty drew on the experience of the fall of the Tang Dynasty, focusing on the internal light, decentralization of local power, so that the local ability not to dominate the party, so gradually on the control of weapons strict up, do not allow folk to private weapons, not to mention a large number of production.

In addition, the Song dynasty army is a large number of people, to be equipped with the Tang sword, is really not affordable, the raw materials on the supply, it is better to choose a new type of inexpensive weapons.

The Tang sword, which was created for the powerful Tang dynasty, was adapted to the development of the Tang dynasty at that time, and was not applicable to later generations, with certain historical limitations. And effective and inexpensive weapons will always be the important weapon of the army equipment, the luxury of the Tang sword from then on gradually withdrew from the stage of war, and disappeared completely, it is really a pity of the Chinese cold weapons.

The question asked...you might as well ask why the Tang dynasty was so strong and why it was changed!

The real meaning of the Tang sword is the Yi Barricade horizontal stride four Tang Dynasty standardized knives! Tang are gone, why Tang knife!

If you, like me, grew up practicing martial arts, obsessed with swords and knives for twenty years, visited many museums (of course, not all have cold weapons), you will understand that there is no stereotypes of cold weapons! Knives and swords, or just cold weapons, have no set style! Relatively I am better at knife, so to speak, people have subjective initiative, so even if the knife is not very suitable, in a certain category can be overcome, but with a long time, there will be a certain degree of wear and tear, this is a kind of change, there is also a situation is that there will be a slight change, this is a kind of inevitability, each with a knife as long as the knife belongs to the individual knife, then nothing sooner or later, on a certain knife to be familiar to a certain degree, will certainly go to change! After a certain degree of familiarity with a knife to a certain degree, will certainly go to change it, even if it is to surprise, but also must add or subtract details to make it different, so we can not say that the Tang sword is gone, lost! The actual situation is more likely to be after the Tang so long time people on the style of the Tang sword continue to improve, so become different!

This change is first of all the appearance of the Tang sword in the most typical Tang horizontal knife is the evolution of the Han ring head, the Three Kingdoms period of the ring head of the knife and the earliest ring head of the knife is not the same as the earliest ring head of the knife, the earliest ring head of the knife is very simple, one forged through the core handle with a ring head plus two pieces of the hilt with a gum lacquer bonded outside the wrapped in silk and linen, there is no knife frame, only a hoop on the front end of the hilt, the hoop to the Beiqi Suit Iron Knife began to the evolution of the knife frame, a little larger, to the Sui Dynasty, the first time I saw the knife, the first time I saw it. Enlarged a little, to the Sui, the knife grid is even larger, but the ring head is no longer a one-piece forging, the emergence of dowel, and the ring began to be decorated! By the time of the Tang Yokozuna, the ring head was even smaller or even gone, becoming a hand-rope hole, the first edge began to appear, the blade frame was larger, two types evolved towards the dish type (similar to the tsuba of the katana) and the Yunshou type (the Chinese sword guard type), and the blade began to appear to swallow the mouth and cut the feathers, but the dominant type of blade was still a continuation of the straight body of the Han ring head! In the middle of the Yuan Dynasty completely detonated the popularity of curved blade knife, this aspect has the influence of Islamic civilization in Central Asia, in fact, the forging process is still continued, but the curved blade knife began to become the mainstream, which led to a kind of straight blade lost the misunderstanding, but in fact to the Ming Dynasty straight Yunshou (knife frame) knife this kind of similar to the Tang horizontal knife knife type is still there! So in my opinion the Tang sword has not been lost, it has just been improved and become completely different!

From the point of view of the people who use weapons, the large category of Qinglong Crescent knife and thick-backed park knife is the same thing, painting halberd and double gorget halberd is the same thing, three-pointed two-bladed knife and phoenix-winged lutetium gold boring with a dung fork is the same thing, otherwise why say eighteen kinds of weapons? Why not eighteen kinds of weapons? Here is the general is the meaning of the type, belonging to a class of mostly similar in appearance and usage is also roughly the same, even if the Mongolian machete in the use of the Ming Dynasty with the Ma Zha knife is similar, even if the two appearance of the difference is very large; small category is not the same, are now the hammer, but the hammer, but the pulling hammer, hammer, round head hammer, eight-pronged hammer, masonry hammer, hammer, can be the same as the pliers hammer? The details of the different functions will have a focus on the different, although all can knock smashed!

China has a very large cultural continuity, but today we write simplified characters, before the Republic of China were traditional characters, and even further back there are more complicated fonts, but who can say that the seal script is lost?

The weapons of each dynasty are closely related to the characteristics of the army of that dynasty. First of all, the Tang army, the Tang Dynasty, Shuo Fang, Guanlong, Yunzhong and other horse-producing areas are the boundaries of the Tang Dynasty, these places are rich in good horses, while the Tang Dynasty destroyed the Turkic and other nomadic peoples, the occupation of the Yinshan Mountain, the Great Green Mountain and other important pastures, so the Tang Dynasty, many war horses, according to the actual record of Xuanzong, Guanzhong area only horse garden on the horse 700,000 horses. Ancient war horse is a strategic material, reflecting the power of the army, sufficient war horse makes the Tang army's strategic mobility is exceptionally strong, excellent war horse plus well-made Tang sword, cavalry can easily cut open each other's leather armor to cut off each other's weapons, so the Tang army became the invincible existence of that era.

The reason for the disappearance of the important Tang sword is not the complexity of the process, but the loss of the original pastures of the Central Plains dynasty since the Fifth Dynasty, especially after the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty, with the Western Xia and Liao's power, the Northern Song Dynasty to obtain the war horse more and more less and less ways. Lost horses, the Song army basically metamorphosed into a purely infantry army, the Song army's mobility seriously reduced leading to a change in its tactics. The Song army assembled into huge infantry formations and relied on long spears, large axes and heavy armor to counter the onslaught of Western Xia or Khitan cavalry. At this time the Tang sword has not adapted to the new form of warfare, delicate and thin blade in the high speed of the cavalry rushed to the confrontation appeared to be incompetent, two-handed grip of the hemp stick knife has become the mainstream. At this time a large number of knives began to appear, such as eyebrow pointed knife, supine moon knife.

A weapon must be adapted to the needs of the war at that time will have vitality, otherwise even if the most beautiful and gorgeous will be eliminated, this is the inevitable history.

Expensive and complex. There are other cheap alternatives.

Such as the Song Dynasty Park Knife, since it can achieve almost the same effect, the price is still cheaper than you, the production is also simpler than you, so it is obvious which one to choose. This led to the marginalization of the Tang knife, and marginalization means slowly being eliminated.

But that's not to say that Tangblade performance is bad, just like you can't say Apple's phone is bad, but Android phones are too cheap, and there's not much difference in functionality... ugh, it's so fragrant