Imperial Chinese Armies (1) – 200 BC – 589 AD – Men-at-Arms – Osprey from Osprey

Description

After AD 304 the five ‘barbarian’ tribes divided north China among themselves, setting up dynasties which were often Chinese only in name, and feuding constantly both with each other and with the native states, whose stronghold was now in the south. It was under this barbarian influence that the heavily-armored cavalry which were to become the striking force of the great T’ang dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries first developed. In a knowledgeable text complemented by numerous illustrations, this book explores the history, weaponry, tactics and organization of medieval Chinese armies between 200 BC and AD 589.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Chronology
• The Western Han 202 BC-AD 25
• The Eastern Han AD 25-189
• Recruitment
• Organization
• Weapons
• Defenses
• Garrison Life
• The Three Kingdoms and the Ts’in AD 189-316
• The Barbarian Invasions AD 316-589
• Armies of the Invasion Period
• The Art of War in the Early Imperial Age
• 10 Significant Battles
• The Plates