UNIT: Zhao Cavalry | Zhao Feiqi- And the Rise of Zhao: 赵飞骑

Music: Keep the Fun Going

Render by Wang Lanye-十七 based on national painting by Wang Kewei. 

The most legendary~ and also the far most enduring unit from the Warring States period was probably the arrival of true cavalry in China. The rapid adoption of cavalry would have immediate and far reaching impact in the Warring States world. And the consequences would be both military as well as political. True cavalry arrived around 4th century BC- with the first recorded instance being deployed around the time of Battle of Maling, but as the Warring States period entered into its late game they became an ubiquitous game changer in battle. 

Of the early adopters, Zhao aggressively incorporated true cavalry into its army by modeling them based on their nomadic invaders from the north and went on to have true cavalry consisting of 8% of its entire military, a significant percentage and far larger than that of the chariotry used by most states in previous eras. Zhao's swift strings of victories were such that within decades all Warring States kingdoms had adopted true cavalry and fielded them in battle.

Both as nimble archers and lancers. True cavalry most likely was introduced to China via frequent clashes with nomadic people that fielded them. In contrast to the chariotry of previous centuries, cavalry provided far more versatile (able to still remain mobile in difficult terrain compared to the flatland- limited chariots) and cost effective.

THE LATE BLOOMER

Situated in the north- central region of the Warring States world, the state of Zhao was one of the 3 "Jins" born after the great central state of Jin was partitioned into: Wei, Zhao, and Han. Among these 3 Jins early on Wei was blessed with a meritocratic bureaucracy, a formidable military with its own crack units: the Wei Martial Troops, an extensively engineered fertile river valley, and formidable natural barriers. For this reason it lead the affair of the central states and roped in Han and Zhao as junior partners. Han- although often the smallest and military most insignificant of the 3 nonetheless was located near Luoyang and inherited many fabulously rich walled cities and was financially secure and sound. By contrast, Zhao's power was negligible compared Wei. It's wealth at times even lesser than Han-

Woe to the Vanquished: The Last Free Small States- yellow arrows represents expansionary conquests that annexed the last free small states. It was during this time, the climax of the mid Warring States period that all other smaller states disappeared.  (Cont~) Zhao was cursed with mostly barren arid lands, and steppe pastures. Worse yet, because of their position on the northern end of the Taihang Mountains for centuries the settlers here were flooded with destructive invasion from the open steppes. This nomadic threat was not limited to the north either. For simply to its east lays the small but capable state of Zhongshan, founded by nomadic semi- Sinicized people that forged their own state.

However Zhao was not content to remain low. Zhao invasions (yellow arrows) near the late game of Warring States era. When Wei's hegemony was shattered by the partnering of its western and eastern rivals, the great states of Qin and Qi- the political landscapes was profoundly transformed. Without a strong central state left, power devolved either to the west or east (ie either Qin or Qi) - the question became whether small states should band together in a coalition against Qin or Qi- or work with 1 of them in the distance to strengthen one's own interests. For a time Zhao also played such games and entangled itself in such affairs. However with the increased adoption of cavalry under King Wuling of Zhao (325-299 BC) and extensive military reforms in mobile warfare, Zhao began to expand rapidly in all directions and would soon remake itself as one of the last great powers of the Warring States period.

KING WULING'S TRANSFORMATIVE REFORMS

Warring States era armored cavalry archer. The warrior is incased in a lamellar armor laced together with silk threads. He wears an engraved bronze helmet. He wields a laminated longbow. The earliest longbows in China dates to the Warring States period and were made of bamboo (siya) or mulberry and were valued for their stability. A short sword is tucked to his belt via a belt clip attached on the scabbard. Accompanying him is a watchful hawk.

Music: Face What I Truly Am

Zhao remained relatively weak until the military reforms of King Wuling of Zhao (325-299 BC). During the early part of his reign Zhao was (as it had previous been) constantly harassed by the coalition of Beidi, Donghu, Linhu, Loufan and other nomadic tribes that devasted his realm. In 307 BC Wuling began to embark on a sweeping series of military reforms. Soldiers of Zhao were ordered to dress like their nomadic northern neighbors and to replace war chariots with cavalry archers (胡服骑射; húfúqíshè). Furthermore, Zhao cavalries were trained both in the way of cavalry charges (pre- stirrup) but also nimble archery. The Zhao military dress code (not off duty) and fighting tactic were thus significantly reformed to be like that of their horse riding enemies.

-Despite the unpopularity and controversial nature of his cultural- changing reforms, King Wuling persuaded with patience and authority, eventually managed to convince his ministers of the values of his changes. Thereafter Zhao began to win an unbroken strings of victories. One year later in 306 BC in the north the Zhao army expanded beyond the old pale of Chinese states. After crushing both the Linhu and Loufan nomadic tribes and vassalizing them under Zhao sway, Zhao seized the expanse of pasturelands in what is today's Inner Mongolia. The next year, Zhao crushed Zhongshan in the east and seized many cities from them. 

One year later in 304 BC Zhao expanded all along the northern bend of the Yellow River and began to erect great walled colonies guarding their gains. Furthermore, all of the vassalized tribes became his auxiliaries and augmented their strength to his war machine. In just 5 years he had ended centuries of problems and turned it to his strength, created security in the north and west then a decade after, will have completely defeated and annexed Zhongshan.

Late Warring States period bronze helmet.

Mid: Late Warring States era Qin lamellar armor laced together with silk threads. Bottom: Warring States shaft grip with interlaced silver dragon motif. 

ZENITH- THE NORTHERN POLE ARISES

King Wuling's dramatic expansions remade Zhao into a preeminent state of the era. Now, instead of the traditional 2 pole dynamic where Qin and Qi dominated the realm's affair in either west and east, the north too arose as a major pole of influence. Ethnologists and historians have pinpointed to the pressures caused by Zhao conquests as a major factor for many of the displaced tribesmen who had lost their valued pastures to create the Xiongnu Confederacy. Zhao's influence was such that when Qin fell into a period of chaos after a freak accident with the death of the young and heirless King Wu- it was King Wuling who personally helped to ensure the young and inexperienced Prince Ying Ji ascend to the Qin throne. 

Now there were 3 Poles. 3 of the most militarily capable and dynamic of mid- late Warring States period. Qin in the west, and (after the rapid adoption of true cavalry and opportunistic politicking) Zhao in the north, Qi in the east. The state of Chu to the south is another strong state however it struggles to make up for the lost initiatives in reform and organization.

The Zhao Explosion: Qin conquests (Orange) and Zhao conquests (Blue) compared. Towards the end of the 4th century Qin and Zhao became 2 states that made the most dramatic trunches of expansion. Having secured Hexi and defeated a massive coalition of 5 Kingdoms (including Zhao) at Hangu Pass, Qin rapidly annexed both kingdoms of Ba and Shu in Sichuan, then expanded into Chu interior by treachery, tripling its size and became exponentially more wealthy. But with the death of the Qin King in 311 BC, Qin fell into a period of court struggle and corruption until it was restabilized under the regent Queen Xuan. By contrast, during this period Zhao under King Wuling reformed and made itself the most powerful state in the north, conquering the open steppes and Zhongshan and made the best of steppe warriors his crack auxiliary.

Unfortunately for Zhao Ying Ji would grow up to be the future King Zhaoxiang. Unfortunately also for King Wuling, despite his immense strides he made for Zhao and the respects he carried, after he abdicated his throne and transferred the rulership to his son (now enthroned as King Huiwen of Zhao) he was caught in the crossfire of a coup at court and died in captivity. 

Despite his anticlimactic and tragic end- Zhao was still in peak form. Since the throne was already in the hand of King Huiwen the state continued its strength. The 2 kings of Wuling and Huiwen marked the height of Zhao greatness in this age. During Huiwen's rule, Zhao reached its territorial and political zenith. Astute in politics and ensuring that the royal court was staffed with talented generals, reformers, and strategists, Zhao truly became one of the indispensable great states. However it was also this period that blowbacks began to accrue for Zhao that would have major dire consequences. 

When Qi- once 1 of the greatest of 2 states became deeply covetous to make its own headlong conquests- annexed its southern state of Song in conquest, Su Qin, a highly eloquent diplomat working for Yan rallied all of the 6 kingdoms to denounce Qi and march against it. Yan 1 generation ago had been bullied to the brink of annexation by the Qi thus held a deep seated grudge and came with decisive force in full and destroyed the Qi royal army, captured the Qi capital, drove the Qi king out, and then a Chu general killed the Qi King. For a time only 2 Qi cities were left and Qi nearly vanquished. However a miracle saved Qi from the death's door. Qi thereafter stopped being 1 of the greatest states, and it was mostly left between Zhao in the north and Qin in the west.

BLACK & WHITE: THE QIN- ZHAO ARCHRIVALRY

Until the end of this age- the court in Handan (Zhao) and the court in Xianyang (Qin) at Chang'an/ Xian were nemesis to each other. 

Music: The Great Kingdom of Qin

Unfortunately for Zhao- the candidate which it helped to enthrone in Qin proved to be once in an age sovereign- perhaps the greatest figure of the entire Warring States period only after his great -grandson Qin Shi Huang. After finishing his minority, young prince Ying Ji grew up to be a cunning and deeply ambitious statesman. The young King Zhaoxiang was well educated, energetic, a consummate workaholic, and extremely dangerous. His force of will was such that he would break almost any bonds or kinship to position Qin to a ruthless height. 

When he took over the mantle of kingship Qin was balkanized into factions that had negotiated themselves into such niches. Many sectors of the government were controlled by his mother and her clan- although a forceful and astute regent, Queen Xuan was born from the royal dynasty of Chu's blood and her brothers- Zhaoxiang's uncles- controlled all affairs at court, in all matters they refused to harm Chu interests. In the governing apparatus although Qin was made a deeply meritocratic state by Shang Yang half a century prior, by this point although all government and military positions should only be open to those who had attained such status by merit, having been left unchecked, elder statesmen of the government had essentially turned these positions into a new form of nobility and the ranks was rife with nepotistic corruption and oversight. Personally he also owes his kingship to Zhao. For Qin's destiny, King Zhaoxiang turned on all of them. 

King Zhaoxiang forced his mother to retire and forcefully removed his uncles from power, he dramatically purged the bureaucracy and inducted newly proven talents into those niches. Then he returned the Qin war machine to its peak fighting shape and would spend the rest of his life (a reign of total of 57 years) on utterly crushing any and all of Qin's obstacles toward unification. From this period on Qin went from primus inter pares to virtually unstoppable. It was because of such a monumental threat he presented to the 6 kingdoms that Zhao- and its King Huiwen became one of Qin's most active obstacles. For the remainder of Huiwen's life, most of Zhao's priority laid in obstructing the advances of Qin.

Qin elite vanguards. Above: Heavy Qin Dynasty Helmet: The helmet is constructed based on a limestone helmet model excavated from Pit K9801 in the First Emperor's Mausoleum in Xian. Middle: AI- Assisted artwork by Jack Huang: Qin veterans (inspired by shell-shocked WW1 photos) Below: 1/6 The Great Qin Empire Qin Elite Soldier by Mo Zulong

 Under once in an age level generals like Bai Qi etc, Qin utterly crushed Han and Wei in the field, then also turned its wars on Chu, crushing its armies and then taking its ancient ancestral capital. And he will ensure that one day Qin will rip off one of Zhao's arms and turn a vast borderland into a nearly endless Zhao charnel house. Whereby- traditionally (and definitely exaggerated) stated by Sima Qian, had seen Zhao lost as much as half a million soldiers. 

Despite this, Zhao endured. And under able generals like Lian Po and Li Mu Zhao was able to miraculously restabilize and trade ounce for ounce in blows with Qin. Though Zhao was indeed one of the last and latest of bloomers in this age, until the very end Zhao proved itself one of Qin's most dangerous enemies.

Music: Song for a Doomed Dynasty

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Art by: 顾德雄 Armored Han cavalry man by the 2st century BC. By the time of Emperor Wu of Han he would phase out nearly all of the chariotry within the imperial army. However, large wagons still remained in use and served as both transports and mobile defenses such as in the decisive battle of Mobei.