Mongol Composite Bow

Timeline

1. c. 1180–1206Around the Onon River · Mongolian PlateauTemüjin unified the Mongol tribes and established the thousand- and hundred-household military system; steppe composite bow making and mounted archery training were incorporated into the standing army, with each horseman typically equipped with multiple bows and large quantities of arrows, laying the armament foundation for subsequent foreign campaigns.
2. 1211–1215Battlefield outskirts of Jin Zhongdu (present-day Beijing) · North ChinaIn 1211 the Mongols launched a major offensive against Jin; composite-bow mounted archery repeatedly harassed Jin infantry and heavy cavalry in open battle, and combined with feigned retreats and encirclement tactics, captured Jin's Zhongdu in 1215, demonstrating the tactical advantage of steppe horse archers over North China's mixed infantry-cavalry forces.
3. 1216–1220North China Plain and the Yanshan line · North ChinaDuring sustained operations in North China, the composite bow as the core ranged weapon maintained high rates of issue, working with armor and siege engines made by surrendered craftsmen to support multi-front military operations against remnant Jin forces and the Western Xia frontier until around 1220.