The Battle of Saerhu (1619) was one of the largest battles in the 17th-century world. Although the Ming army was equipped with a large quantity of firearms, it was nevertheless completely defeated by the well trained archers and armed cavalry of the Manchu troops. This article investigates the key elements of this battle from the viewpoint of weaponry and military tactics.
The author also attempts to clarify the role of the Deputy Director of Military Affairs to Beijing, Huang Kezuan (1550-1634), who supervised the casting of Spanish-style muzzle loading guns and delivered them to the battlefields in Liaodong. These guns were manufactured by craftsmen of southern Fujian who went to Manila to earn a living. The author explains why these guns did not help lead the Ming army to victory in the battles of Shenyang and Liaoyang (1621). The author also corrects the previous belief that European-style muzzle loading artillery was first introduced into China by Christian converts such as Xu Guangqi (1562-1633).
Battle of Saerhu, battles of Shenyang and Liaoyang, Huang Kezuan, Xu Guangqi, artillery
Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.
