The Decisive Battles of World History

armies incorporated large contingents of foot soldiers armed

with crossbows.

x At around the same time, horses began to be bred larger and could

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armies. Much more mobile and cost-effective than chariots, cavalry

gradually took over the roles formerly played by chariots.

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x In the 3rd century B.C., the Qin, one of the many squabbling kingdoms,
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x No single decisive moment marked the ascension of the Qin.

Between 364 and 234 B.C., the armies of Qin fought at least 15

separate campaigns against their rivals in what amounted to an

ongoing war of attrition. In 221 B.C., this series of conquests was

Discovered in a series of burial pits near Xian, the terra-cotta warriors—
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Qin army.

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