If repeating crossbows were that great then Mongols and other people would have adopted them. The design of the Chinese crossbow would have had to be introduced to them first, and then ease of design as well as cost effectiveness would have to be considered, and production would have to be taught to engineers. So the answer isn't really as straightforward as why Europeans didn't adopt a repeating crossbow but how they would have. Song Dynasty Cavalry that has both regular crossbows and regular bows: Even during the Qin Dynasty we have evidence of large crossbows that required being pulled from a sitting position:Īs well as large single use mounted crossbows (Song Dynasty) that required being cranked by two guys: That is to say, repeating crossbows were not a direct and straightforward evolution of the crossobow, and did not negate its brethren's effectiveness due to a lack of penetrating power, accuracy, and firing distance. Infections and lack of hygiene for open wounds would have been the main source of casualties caused by this weapon, rather than hitting vital organs.Įven when repeating crossbows appeared, larger single quarrel crossbows never went out of use. The penetration was so low that it became common practice during warfare to tip the arrowhead in fresh dung or more rarely poison, since wounds were light. When grouped together it's powerful enough to be a deterrent for most human targets, especially squished together, but it was not a weapon with enough draw power to go hunting with, as was the tradition in Europe. You could say it was a weapon made especially for peasants. The early handheld design of the crossbow necessitated en mass utilization to optimize effectiveness due to its low penetration rate and shooting distance. The Chinese repeating crossbow, popularly known as a Zhugenu after Zhugeliang, who supposedly invented them despite archaeological evidence to the contrary, was a weak weapon. Previous AMAs | Previous Roundtables Featuresįeature posts are posted weekly. May 25th | Panel AMA with /r/AskBibleScholars Please Subscribe to our Google Calendar for Upcoming AMAs and Events To nominate someone else as a Quality Contributor, message the mods. Our flaired users have detailed knowledge of their historical specialty and a proven record of excellent contributions to /r/AskHistorians. Please Read and Understand the Rules Before Contributing. Report Comments That Break Reddiquette or the Subreddit Rules. Serious On-Topic Comments Only: No Jokes, Anecdotes, Clutter, or other Digressions. Provide Primary and Secondary Sources If Asked. Write Original, In-Depth and Comprehensive Answers, Using Good Historical Practices. Questions should be clear and specific in what they ask, and should be able to get detailed answers from historians whose expertise is likely to be in particular times and places. Nothing Less Than 20 Years Old, and Don't Soapbox. Be Nice: No Racism, Bigotry, or Offensive Behavior.
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