Traditions of Japanese Warfare
History
The history of a unified Japan begins in the Yamato Court with the Emperor of Heaven at its center. In 592 CE, Prince Shōtoku, under Empress Suiko, championed Buddhist and Confucian ideals in Japan for the creation of an ideal government. In 603, he achieved a Seventeen-Article Constitution for the country that created twelve court ranks whose members were identified by colored caps and chosen for their merit and competence. He also opened relations with the Chinese Sui dynasty on equal terms, helping to build Chinese-style Buddhist temples in Japan and sending Japanese students to the mainland to learn from Chinese scholars.[1]
Traditions of Aztec Warfare
History
The history of the Aztec Empire began with migrating Nahua peoples commonly called the Mexica. Harried by enemies, in 1325 they settled on islands in Lake Texcoco in central Mexico, founding the city of Tenochtitlán. They established large, elaborate irrigation systems and started to convert the swamp of Texcoco into arable land. Under the ruler Itzcóatl, the Aztecs formed alliances with the neighboring Texcoco and Tlacopan peoples. By 1519, they had become the dominant power in central Mexico, controlling an empire of four to five hundred states and ruling over about 30 million people. The capital Tenochtitlán, at its height, spread over five miles and housed more than 200,000 citizens. It was the largest pre-Columbian settlement in Mexico and one of the largest cities in the world at the time.
A relatively young empire, Aztec culture was still spreading and evolving, and it would have continued this trend if not for the arrival of Cortez in 1519. The combination of Spanish weapons, armor, disease, and deliberate execution of critical Aztec leaders brought the great empire to its knees[1][2].
Ottoman Warfare
History
At the height of its power, the Ottoman Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf, into Hungary and along the northern shore of Africa.[1] As part of a relatively tolerant Muslim empire, the military was exposed to a wide variety of cultures, weapons, and fighting styles. In spite of this, a form of standardization emerged.
Prior to the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the army of the Ottoman Empire was comprised of Christian men from conquered Byzantine provinces under the command of the Ottoman nobility. To counter the Sultan’s lack of direct military power, Murad I and Bayezid I formed the Janissary corps, which were comprised of captured Christian boys who were captured during battle, converted to Islam, and trained to fight for the Sultan.[2] The Janissary corps fought along with other infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Weapons were manufactured in factories called cebehâne, then provided to soldiers. For three hundred years, the Church of Hagia Eirene in Topkapı Palace’s First Courtyard in Istanbul functioned as one such factory.[3]
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Mehmet II took the opportunity to reorganize the military, and it was one of the first professional standing armies since the fall of the Roman Empire. The military flourished until the Auspicious Incident in 1828 when the Janissaries revolted against the Sultan Mahmud II for the induction of westernized troops.[4]
Mexican Warfare
History
Precolumbian Mexican society was part of the technologically advanced and highly sophisticated Aztec Empire. The grand city of Teotihuacan was settled as early as 400 BCE and boasted several massive pyramids that served important religious functions. For unknown reasons, the city was abandoned around 750. [1] In 1519 Hernando Cortez of Spain landed in Mexico near the site of Veracruz. As Cortez and his men...
A History of Zulu Warfare
History
The Kingdom of Zulu, forged by a man known as Shaka Zulu, was founded in a period of monumental change in southern Africa. In 1652, the Dutch founded Capetown, which soon became the site of a thriving slave trade. The land, and its people, were increasingly exploited by the Dutch and later the British, who assumed full control of Capetown by 1806.
Despite their advance, European colonists still held only nominal authority in parts of the region. Local politics, warfare, and family life continued mostly uninterrupted for many people. The Zulu tribe, for example, rose to power after the decline of the Mthethwa Empire in 1820. Their leader, Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, commonly known as Shaka, was a fierce warrior and brilliant commander. His warriors were famed for their lack of fear in the face of death. The Zulu warriors were some of the most effective and disciplined fighting forces in history, and they quickly subdued the entirety of Natal in South Africa[1]. His brief but turbulent reign saw Shaka take on the British Empire near the height of its power, a conflict that would continue long after his death in 1828.[2]
A History of Warfare in the Philippines
History
The Philippines is a large archipelago of Southeast Asia, bordering other nations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and China. Of its seven thousand islands, only about two thousand are inhabited. They are divided into three major regions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city of Manila is located on Luzon, its largest island.[1]
Berber Warfare
History
The Berbers, or Amazigh people, are an indigenous cultural group of North Africa. Their population exists in clusters from Morocco to Egypt, with a large concentration in the middle of the Sahara Desert straddling the borders of northern Niger, Tunisia, and Libya.[1]
Hawaiian Warfare
History
Hawaii was probably settled around 400 CE when Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands, 2000 miles away, sailed over to the five islands of Hawaii in large seagoing canoes. Once they landed, they divided up into tribes ruled by chieftains[1].
These chiefs fought for land and honor, similar to European feudal wars. The conflicts were often quite complex and multifaceted with multiple claims to land and tribal feuds going back generations. Hawaiian history was entirely oral, containing a vast wealth of rich mythology, history, and practical knowledge[2]. One specialty of the oral historians was foraging and navigation, the Hawaiians were expert navigators and could sail by day or night using the sun and stars to navigate and had a sophisticated calendar to track celestial events[3].
Warfare of the Mongol Empire
History
The history of the Mongol Empire inevitably begins with the story of Genghis Khan. While Mongolian and Tatar tribes had formed kingdoms and alliances for many centuries, it was Genghis, or Chinggis, who unified and focused their military power. Born Temüjin near Lake Baikal in Mongolia in 1162, he grew up the son of a powerful chief. When a rival Tatar tribe killed his father, Temüjin’s family was cast aside in the resulting power struggle. His next few years were marked by poverty, danger, and a growing desire for revenge.[1]
What is HEMA?
Introduction
Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) is a relatively new martial art. It seeks to revive and reconstruct the weapons and techniques used in Europe from the dawn of Athens to the first world war. Though the primary focus is on the middle ages from the 11th-19th centuries. The community is comprised of different clubs and groups, each focusing on a variety of weapons or sources. Groups study historical manuscripts and fight books written by old masters and reconstruct their techniques and art with modern training equipment that replicates historical weapons. Various events bring the community together to fight, share research, and make friends.