The ''zhanmadao'' () was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

(206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279).

General characteristics

The ''zhanmadao'' is a single-edged

sabre A sabre or saber ( ) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the Early Modern warfare, early modern and Napoleonic period, Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such a ...

with a long broad blade, and a long handle suitable for two-handed use. It was used as an anti-

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

weapon, dating from Emperor Cheng of Han, made to slice through a horse's legs. This is mentioned in the ''

Wujing Zongyao The ''Wujing Zongyao'' (), sometimes rendered in English as the ''Complete Essentials for the Military Classics'', is a Chinese military compendium written from around 1040 to 1044. The book was compiled during the Northern Song dynasty by Ze ...

'', a Song military manual from 1072. It featured prominently against the Jin armies in campaigns between 1129 and 1141. The earliest variant of the ''zhanmadao'' is called '' zhanmajian'' (), literally "horse beheading '' jian''". The ''zhanmajian'' existed during the

, so called because it was supposedly able to cut off a horse's head. The difference between the two is that ''zhanmajian'' is double-edged whereas the ''zhanmadao'' is single-edged, which persists with the meaning of ''jian'' and ''dao''. Another suggestion is that the ''zhanmajian'' was an execution tool used on special occasions rather than a military weapon. Surviving examples include a sword that might resemble a nagamaki in construction; it had a wrapped handle long making it easy to grip with two hands with a blade that was long and straight, with a slight curve in the last half.

Similar weapons

Possible variations of these Chinese swords were the

changdao The ''changdao'' ( zh, t=長刀, s=长刀, first=t, p=chángdāo, l=long sword) was a two-handed, single-edged Chinese swords, Chinese sword. The term has been translated as "long saber," "saber-staff," or "long-handled saber." During the Ming ...

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

and

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, wodao of

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

General characteristics

Similar weapons

See also

References

Citations

General and cited references