Why after the Qin and Han Dynasties, soldiers no longer use the pre-Qin era of the go as a weapon?

Go weapon is a kind of ancient weapon popular in the Xia and Shang Dynasties to the Han Dynasty, which had a pivotal influence on the later development of the history of ancient Chinese weapons. The idioms that we know today "make a big move", "turn dry ge into jade and silk", "stopping ge into wu" are all related to the Ge weapon.

So, how did the ancient go rise and fall disappeared?

First, the Xia, Shang, Zhou era of Go weapons

You know, China has so far found the existence of the earliest time Go, is unearthed in Henan Yanshi Erlitou site Bronze Go. Its use dates from the Xia Dynasty and the earlier tribal alliance period of the Xia Dynasty. Elsewhere, archaeologists have found go weapons used during the Shang and Zhou dynasties (Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States) as well as the Qin and Han periods.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, more than 2,000 years ago, when the vassals fought for supremacy, the rites and music collapsed, and the Zhou royal family, which was the master of the world***, declined, wars around the world became more and more frequent, and so the number of uses and castings of the gor were far greater than those during the Xia, Shang and Western Zhou periods.

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, during the Spring and Autumn Period, Qi and Lu fought in the Battle of Chang Spoon, Jin and Chu fought in the Battle of Cheng Pu, the Battle of Bi, and the Battle of Yann Ling, Chu and Wu fought in the Baogui Battle, and Jin and Qin fought in the Banshan Mountain all invested a large number of go weapons, which shows that the use of go weapons by the vassal states at that time had become very popular.

When it comes to this, it is necessary to mention the chariot soldiers related to the go weapons. Before the Qin and Han Dynasties, charioteers were the main type of soldiers in the wars of various countries, and even after the reforms of Hu Suit and Horsemanship of King Wuling of Zhao during the Warring States period, there were still a large number of charioteers in the vassals' countries.

It was very convenient for the soldiers to stand on their chariots and use the long-handled ga to peck and slash during the battle. Therefore, the reason why Gog has been able to endure is because of the existence of chariot soldiers.

Second, go weapons in the Qin, Han period to decline

But with the progress of smelting technology, China from the bronze society into the Iron Age. The popularity of iron weapons is the cause of the gradual decline and demise of bronze go weapons. After the Qin Dynasty, iron weapons such as spears and halberds increased and gradually took the place of bronze go.

At the same time, chariot soldiers were gradually replaced by infantry and cavalry, and withdrew from the stage of history. It is obvious from the structure that the function of the gor was too single, and could only be used for pecking and chopping, which was not convenient for the cavalry to use. Another weapon, the halberd, which could be used for both pecking and chopping like the ga, as well as stabbing like the spear, soon took over the ga's position. After the Han Dynasty, there was no other dynasty that used the go as a weapon.

Third, the halberd took the place of the go

And the halberd, as a weapon, was a very common cavalry weapon during the two Han and Three Kingdoms periods. Until after the Wei, Jin and North and South Dynasties, the halberd declined. Into the Sui and Tang dynasties, the soldier's weaponry rose another level, because the Sui and Tang cavalry began to be equipped with long lances and horizontal swords (Tang horizontal sword).

Tang dynasty light cavalry equipment is very elite, its configuration of long lance can deal with nomadic cavalry scimitar and iron sword. Such as Turkic, Tubo, migratory birds and other nationalities in fighting with the Tang cavalry, have eaten this loss.

Li Jing, a general in the early years of the Tang Dynasty, led only 3,000 Tang light cavalry to take down the desert royal court of the Eastern Turkic Khan and captured Jie Li Khan. On the other hand, the leather armor and light armor equipped by these nomads were unbeatable in front of the Tang horizontal sword, which was specially designed to break armor. During the Tang Dynasty, swords and long lances (spears and lances) became the most equipped weapons for Han cavalry. It can be seen that the ancient Chinese cavalry weaponry is also experienced a long evolutionary process, from go to the halberd, and then from the halberd to the long lance, and then to the riding sword.

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