in Ancient China

Armies were important to the emperors of Ancient China. They protected the emperor against foreign attacks, and local rebels. They also protected trade routes, like the road that Chinese silk travelled on, all the way to Ancient Rome. 

Chinese armies had both footsoldiers and soldiers on horseback. Footsoldiers, like Rats-Teeth and Big Ears in Year of the Tiger, were usually peasants forced to join the army. Most army officers, like Commander Zheng, were nobles.

The Han armies’ main weapons were spears and halberds (a type of spear with an extra blade), bows and crossbows. Officers also carried long, straight swords made of iron, and daggers. In the Han Dynasty, iron weapons were a new development. Iron foundries were run under the emperor’s control.  

You can see both halberds and recurve bows in this image. Notice the soldier beating on a drum, to tell the troops what to do. This picture comes from the wall of a tomb. The man buried inside the tomb was probably the commander of an area near the Great Wall. This is how the Tiger battalion might have looked as it marched to Beicheng in Year of the Tiger.

See the last bowmaker in China through this link.

Wicked Warriors and Evil Emperors is chock full of information about Ancient Chinese armies and their battles.