Beat the Drums or Break Them: Bells and Drums as Communication Devices in Early Chinese Warfare

IF 0.1 0 ASIAN STUDIES

Journal of Chinese Military History Pub Date : 2020-10-19 DOI:10.1163/22127453-bja10005

A. Rom

引用次数: 1

Abstract

Warring States (453-221 BCE) and Western Han (206 BCE-9 CE) texts abound in references to drums and bells in discussions of warfare and martial affairs. This begs the question: how are we to understand such references? What role did these instruments have to play on the battlefield? This paper examines the role of sound in early Chinese warfare. By analyzing textual references to sound-producing instruments within the context of warfare, it seeks to emphasize the importance of organized sound production on the battlefield. I argue that, rather than mere ornamental “military music,” drums and bells were perceived by early Chinese strategists as indispensable sonic communication devices, which played a crucial role in victory or defeat in any battle.

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敲鼓还是敲鼓:中国早期战争中作为通讯工具的钟和鼓

战国（公元前453-221年）和西汉（公元前206年至公元前9年）的文本在讨论战争和军事事务时大量提及鼓和钟。这就引出了一个问题：我们如何理解这些参考文献？这些仪器在战场上扮演了什么角色？本文考察了声音在中国早期战争中的作用。通过分析战争背景下声音产生工具的文本参考，它试图强调有组织的声音产生在战场上的重要性。我认为，鼓和钟不仅仅是装饰性的“军乐”，而是被早期的中国战略家视为不可或缺的声音通信设备，在任何战斗的胜负中都发挥着至关重要的作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Chinese Military History Arts and Humanities-History

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0.20

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期刊介绍： The Journal of Chinese Military History (JCMH) is a peer-reviewed semi-annual that publishes research articles and book reviews. It aims to fill the need for a journal devoted specifically to China''s martial past and takes the broadest possible view of military history, embracing both the study of battles and campaigns and the broader, social-history oriented approaches that have become known as "the new military history." It aims to publish a balanced mix of articles representing a variety of approaches to both modern and pre-modern Chinese military history. The journal also welcomes comparative and theoretical work as well as studies of the military interactions between China and other states and peoples, including East Asian neighbors such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.