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The Employment of the Crossbow and Military Reforms of Goguryeo between the 6th and 7th Centuries

이정빈 1

1경희대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine the employment of the crossbow and analyze the consequential reforms of military organization in Goguryeo between the 6th and 7th centuries. Goguryeo had the knowledge of the crossbow even before the 6th century and contemplated how to integrate it into their weapons system. The dissemination of the crossbow only began to occur after the mid-6th century. This was much owed to China, because China initiated the development of the crossbow, which gradually replaced armored cavalry as their primary weapon. Goguryeo adopted the employment of the crossbow, Goguryeo’s military reforms encouraged other neighboring countries, including Silla and Japan, to follow suit. By the 7th century, the crossbow in warfare emerged as their major weapon system. Therefore, the increase in the use of the crossbow spread throughout in the East Asia and brought about significant changes in the military organization. Goguryeo generally employed two types of the crossbow in warfare: the normal crossbow and the giant crossbow. The normal crossbow was the primary weaponry for infantry crossbowmen. The use of the normal crossbow was superior to the use of archer’s bow for attacking an enemy at a distance, but the normal crossbow lacked a mode of fusillades. In order to overcome this deficiency, the normal crossbow was presumably allocated to the standing army because methodical training based on battle formations was an essential component for its effective employment. As for the giant crossbow, its mobility was limited due to its enormous size, weighing as much as a catapult. The giant crossbow was a crew-served weapon and was primarily deployed in siege warfare, since it had substantial advantages of shooting range and destructive power. Unlike the normal crossbow, methodical training was not necessary for the giant crossbow. Therefore, it is thought that the giant crossbow was allocated to the reserve army as well as the standing army. In this sense, the employment of the giant crossbow became an integral component of the infantry. Since the crossbow was the primary weapon for the infantry, Goguryeo’s infantry heavily relied on the employment of the crossbow. The role of the infantry in military organization evolved through the late 3rd century and the early 4th century. The number of infantrymen rapidly increased as enlistment extended to commoners. Furthermore, the deployment of the infantry became the key to successful warfare, while the efficiency of the armored cavalry declined. The enlarged infantry facilitated the emergence of a centralized military system, as it required the control of central government. Therefore, it is understood that Goguryeo’s deployment of the crossbow between the 6th and 7th centuries resulted in Goguryeo’s military orientations to centralism.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.