Mongolian Composite Bow

The Mongolian composite bow was the superweapon of the 13th century, the European longbow made of a single piece of wood was no match for this highly developed piece of equipment made of birch wood, animal horn and sinew all glued together with a sticky fish bladder substance. This very compact bow stored a massive amount of potential energy, the strongly recurved limbs when unstrung would be angled away from the archer.

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Importance to the Empire

Inscribed quiver from a Mongolian Composite Bow. [Source](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/634458)

Inscribed quiver from a Mongolian Composite Bow. Source

The Composite Bow, with this massive amount of power packed into such a small form, could be fired off from horseback at targets half a mile away or more. Each of the Mongol horsemen could shoot off arrow after arrow, all hitting their target before the enemy could get close. The thumb ring of stone or bone found on the ends of many archers fingers would be used instead of finger draw. This would help to allow for the faster release of arrows from the powerful bow. The result of using such a device would be that an archer could take aim at a target and then loose off the string in the matter of a couple of seconds. In turn, that arrow would reach its target in the matter of a few seconds, with the utmost of precision.

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Effect on Military Dominance

It was this very style of fighting that would eventually lead to the development of the “Kite” or “Flight of the Geese” tactic in which a group of troops, or a tumen, would scatter arrows at enemy lines and then fall back. The archers would then return to the attack, firing off more arrows from their positions in the front lines of the troops. While mid 20th century Germany, popularized Blitzkrieg, the Mongols set the foundation with their tactics, and use of bows.

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Effect on The Silk Road

Along the Silk Road, the Mongols used their mighty composite bow to establish and enforce the Pax Mongolica, or the Mongols’ Peace, that they had established on the trade routes they had conquered.

The highly mobile archers of a tumen, even a detachment of it, were sufficient to guarantee the safety of the merchants of the world’s most important trade routes.

The mere presence of a Mongol archer was sufficient to deter any bandits from attacking along the world’s first global economy’s vital infrastructure.

Common Tactics

An example of the feigned retreat. [Source](https://www.thecollector.com/horse-archers/)

An example of the feigned retreat. Source

TThe famous ‘retreat’ or ‘fake retreat’ of the Mongol archers: They would fight their enemies for a short time and then retreat in apparent disarray. The enemy would pursue the apparent retreat in disarray. The pursuers would become more and more tired, their horses worn out. Then the Mongols would turn around to face their enemies in apparent disarray. They could also deliver the famous ‘Parthian shot’. While riding back down the line of their victims the Mongol archer would fire his bow backwards while riding at full gallop with all four hooves in the air.

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Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia Contributors, Mongol Bow, 1 ↩

  2. Tahric Finn, Mongolian Bow: History, Design & Performance, 1 ↩

  3. Mark Cartwright, Mongol Warfare, 1 ↩

  4. Holmes, Horse Archers: The Feared Unit of Ancient and Medieval Warfare, 1 ↩