A Global History of Pre-Modern Warfare: Before the Rise of the West, 10,000 BCE–1500 CE (Cass Military Studies)

This book examines the military histories of the regions beyond Western Europe in the pre-modern era. Existing works on global military history mainly focus on warfare in the western part of Eurasia after 1500 ce. As regards the ancient period, such works concentrate exclusively on Greece and Rome. So, ‘global’ military history is actually the triumphal story of the West from Classical Greece onwards. This volume focuses not only on the eastern part of Eurasia but also on South America, Africa and Australasia and seeks to explain the history and varied trajectories of warfare in non-Western regions in the pre-modern era. Further, it evaluates whether warfare in non-Western regions should be considered primitive or inferior when compared with Western warfare. The book notes that Western Europe became militarily significant only in the early modern era and argues that the military divergence that occurred during the early modern era is not unique – it had also occurred in the Bronze Age, the Classical era and in the medieval period. This was due to the dynamism and innovativeness of non-Western militaries and the interconnectedness that existed in parts of the Eurasian landmass. Further, those polities which were able to construct a balanced military force by synthesising diverse elements were not only able to survive but also became capable of projecting power across continents. This book will be of much interest to students of military history, strategic studies and world history. Cover 1 Half Title 4 Series Page 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Contents 8 Preface and acknowledgements 10 List of maps 12 Glossary 13 Introduction: evolution of warfare before the rise of the West 24 1 The origins of warfare 36 2 Military convergence and the Bronze Age civilisations of Eurasia 50 3 Military divergence in Eurasia: Classical Greece against Persia 73 4 The era of hybrid military machines: Macedonia, the Hellenistic monarchies, India and China 102 5 Military divergence again: Rome, Carthage, Parthia, India and the Far East 132 6 Military convergence in medieval Eurasia 162 7 Convergence or divergence? Naval warfare in medieval Eurasia 200 8 Evolution of warfare beyond Eurasia 234 Conclusion 264 Index 272 military,evolution;,pre-colonial;,warfare;,Eurasia;,technology;,Inca,Empire;,Aztec,Empire;,Maurya,Empire;,Tang,Empire;,Eurocentrism;,gunpowder;,non-Western,militaries;,pre-modern,era;,military,divergence military evolution,pre-colonial,warfare,Eurasia,technology,Inca Empire,Aztec Empire,Maurya Empire,Tang Empire,Eurocentrism,gunpowder,non-Western militaries,pre-modern era,military divergence "This book examines the military histories of the regions beyond western Europe in the premodern era. Existing works on global military history mainly focus on the western part of Eurasia after the 1500 CE period, meaning that what has been accepted as 'global' military history is actually the triumphal story of the West from Classical Greece onwards. This volume focuses not only on the eastern part of Eurasia but also on South America, Africa and Australasia, and seeks to explain the history and varied trajectories of warfare in non-Western regions in the premodern era. Further, it evaluates whether warfare in non-Western regions should be considered primitive or inferior when compared with Western warfare. The book notes that Western Europe became militarily significant only in the early modern era and argues that the military divergence that occurred during the early modern era is not unique - it had also occurred in the Bronze Age, the Classical era and in the medieval period. This was due to the dynamism and innovativeness of non-Western militaries and the interconnectedness that existed in parts of the Eurasian landmass. Further, those polities which were able to construct a balanced military force by synthesising diverse elements were not only able to survive but also became capable of projecting power across continents. This book will be of much interest to students of Military History, Strategic Studies and World History"-- Provided by publisher