Xiongnu heavy cavalry?

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

(Originially posted by me at September 26, 2004)
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Did the Xiongnu have heavy cavalry like the Ruanruan and Tujue had? If yes, how did they look like, how do the Chinese sources describe them and how effective were they?

Thanks in advance


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(Originially posted by Temujin at October 5, 2004)
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um, you have the book Attila and the Nomad hordes, right? there's a picture of a heavy cavalryman of the Xiongnu on the first plate...

there's also a picture of a Xiongnu int he book Warriors of Eurasia by Gorelik, btut he horseman looks quite similar to the one in the Osprey book.


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(Originially posted by me at October 5, 2004)
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Ah yes I remember that, but I want to know more (after all, the Osprey book doesn't have a chapter about the Xiongnu).


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(Originially posted by warhead at October 7, 2004)
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The division of heavy with light is modern, back then there was no categorization of these. Thus whats heavy to one army could be considered light for another. Xiongnu did have heavier armoured cavalry than their lighter skirmishers, but they are rarely used as shock troops, although they did charge on occasions. I'm not sure about its reliability, but I've herd that when Ment tien faught the Xiongnu, he deployed his chariots on all sides with shields to prevent the xiongnu from attacking around, then he exchanged fire with the xiongnu in which the crossbow outrange and outpower the composite bow, the xiongnu then made a charge, men tien counter charged with the Qin halberd men and broke the xiongnu mass. It would seem that the Xiongnu charged on frequent occasion to break the enemy formation, and Chinese source said that their speed charge is fast and the typical infantry is hard to halt them thus the crossbow is used to stop their chages. So I think some type of shock cavalry was probably used.


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(Originially posted by me at November 2, 2004)
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I found this:

Their [the Xiongnu] soldiers were bow stringing powerful, armored cavalry.

(Han Shu, 94A Xiongnu Monography, p. 3743/1)


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(Originially posted by me at November 10, 2004)
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I found a 2nd c. AD Han Chinese statue of an armored Xiongnu warrior from a Northern Chinese grave in Nejat Diyarbekirli's book Hun Sanatý (Hunnic Art). Hmm, too bad my scanner's not working

The warrior wears scale armor which covers his chest, stomach and the area below the belt; he has a Phyrigian-Scythian type of headgear/helmet and he raises his right arm in a shape as if he is about to stab a spear (or a lance) but that weapon's not around.

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

Here is the statue I was talking about:




img150.echo.cx/img150/9058/heykel01a3sc.jpg

[asiaticus]

"Their [the Xiongnu] soldiers were bow stringing powerful, armored cavalry."
Sorry, I did not find this quotation at HS 94 A: Xiongnu zhuan / 1 (note 1?) .

[tadamson]

Some Xiongnu cavalry had body armour and horse armour, if that helps?

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

asiaticus said:

"Their [the Xiongnu] soldiers were bow stringing powerful, armored cavalry."
Sorry, I did not find this quotation at HS 94 A: Xiongnu zhuan / 1 (note 1?) .

How come?

[Bor Chono]

I guess Nomads were the first ppl to put a armor on animals.