The Military Ach. of the Han Dynasty
hAt the beginning of the Han dynasty, every male commoner aged twenty-three was liable for conscription into the military. During the Eastern Han, conscription could be avoided if one paid a commutable tax. The year of training was served in one of three branches of the armed forces: infantry, cavalry or navy. The year of active service was served either on the frontier, in a king's court or under the Minister of the Guards in the capital. A small professional paid standing army was stationed near the capital.
In King Han's tomb they buried thousand's upon thousand's of clay soldiers to guard and protect him for eternity. Most of the statues that the Chinese people made were copied and detailed faces of the men enlisted in the Chinese military. The military forces of the Han dynasty was said to have used the most advance forms of weaponry during that time. Swords were a favored weapon and the improvement in iron casting and working during the Han period made it possible for them to produce stronger swords. Improvements were also made to the traditional crossbow making it more accurate and powerful. The army began to adapt stirrups to gain greater balance riding horses. The Han invented the kite for military purposes. The military generals use kites to measure the width of heavily guarded walls. The Han military skill enabled the dynasty to extend its power over Central Asia.