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Zhanmadao: General Characteristics Similar Weapons See Also References

The zhanmadao was a single-bladed anti-cavalry sword used in ancient China from the Han dynasty to Song dynasty. It featured a long, straight blade suitable for two-handed use to cut through a horse's legs. Similar weapons included the changdao, miaodao, and wodao, and it may have inspired the Japanese zanbatō.

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116 views2 pages

Zhanmadao: General Characteristics Similar Weapons See Also References

The zhanmadao was a single-bladed anti-cavalry sword used in ancient China from the Han dynasty to Song dynasty. It featured a long, straight blade suitable for two-handed use to cut through a horse's legs. Similar weapons included the changdao, miaodao, and wodao, and it may have inspired the Japanese zanbatō.

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Zhanmadao

The zhanmadao (Chinese: 斬馬刀; pinyin: zhǎnmǎdāo; literally:


Zhanmadao (斬馬刀)
'horse chopping saber') was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese
sword. It originated during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) Type Infantry anti-
and was especially common in Song China (960–1279). cavalry saber
Place of origin Han dynasty,
China
Production history
Contents
Variants Possible
General characteristics changdao,
Similar weapons miaodao, wodao,
See also zanbatō

References Specifications
Length Approx 200+ cm
Blade length Approx 150+ cm
General characteristics
The zhanmadao is a sabre with a single long broad blade, and a Blade type Single edged,
long handle suitable for two-handed use. It was used as an anti- straight for most
cavalry weapon, dating from Emperor Cheng of Han, made to of the length,
slice through a horse's legs.[1] This is mentioned in the "Wu Jing curving in the last
Zong Yao" a Song Military Manual from 1072.[2] It featured third.
prominently against the Jin armies in campaigns between 1129 Hilt type Two handed
and 1141.[3]

Surviving examples include a sword that might resemble a nagamaki in construction; it had a wrapped
handle 37 centimetres long making it easy to grip with two hands. The blade was 114 centimetres long
and very straight with a slight curve in the last half.

Similar weapons
Possible variations of these Chinese swords were the changdao, miaodao, and wodao. The sword may
have been the inspiration for the Japanese zanbatō; both are written with the same characters and have
been said to have been used for killing the horse and rider in one swing.[4]

See also
Ōdachi
Messer (weapon)
Zweihänder
Dao (sword)
References
1. Yang, Jwing-Ming (1 March 1999). Ancient Chinese Weapons: A Martial Artist's Guide (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=SBENHIwJshMC&pg=PA65). YMAA Publication Center Inc.
p. 65. ISBN 978-1-886969-67-4. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
2. "The Mongol Siege of Xiangyang and Fan-ch'eng and the Song military" (http://www.deremil
itari.org/resources/articles/hanson.htm). deremilitari.org. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
3. Scott, Richard Bodley; Gaukroger, Nik (22 September 2009). Empires of the Dragon: The
Far East at War (https://books.google.com/books?id=LEXX_qRpJr8C&pg=PA107). Osprey
Publishing. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-84603-690-3. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
4. Breverton, Terry (26 April 2012). Breverton's Encyclopedia of Inventions: A Compendium of
Technological Leaps, Groundbreaking Discoveries and Scientific Breakthroughs that
Changed the World (https://books.google.com/books?id=N_XEdH37b2QC&pg=PT18).
Quercus Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-78087-340-4. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

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This page was last edited on 2 November 2019, at 02:59 (UTC).

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