Ancient China's WarfareBefore the warring states of China were united, each state had its own territory and military for defense. Following the unification of the states, a much more organized army was established. Although the states were united, emperors still wanted to claim more territory and an army was needed to conquer neighboring people and claim their land. For many centuries, China was under threat of attack from Mongol tribes to the north and much of its military was involved with defending Chinese lands.
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The ancient Chinese river valley civilization was engaged in military activity since the dawn of warfare. They are one of the worlds oldest and largest civilizations forming around 6000 BC. It is also the longest continuing civilization on Earth. Villages formed in the Northern part of China along the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. Eventually they formed cities and began to conquer one another. However, recorded military activity was first recorded by the Xia Dynasty (2200 BCE-1600 BCE) when writing was developed based of Sumerian script. The ancient Chinese where involved in frequent wars of unification, expansion and defence of their territories. They developed warfare on a sophisticated level to meet these demands. China produced massive infantry based armies and navies who battled for control of the great rivers of China. Later extensive Chinese fleets would take to the high seas, exploring and projecting Chinese power. Chinese armies benefitted from military innovation and carefully organized logistics as well as a rich tradition in military theory, beginning with Sun Tzu's "The Art of war" written in the 6th century BC.
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