At present, when it comes to technology, science and culture, it seems that China is content to pick up the leftovers of the Western world and to make of it what it can. . This was not always the case. Throughout its history, China has been a rather resourceful and creative civilization and has often been far ahead of its time. In fact, today's advanced world is not only the product of inventions from the West, but also those from the East. The Chinese invented many things that greatly influenced the future of the West and the world as a whole. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayOne of the areas in which the Chinese created many innovative and revolutionary inventions was in warfare. One of these inventions, the stirrup, was developed during the Han period to gain an equal footing in battle with the confident horsemen of the west. While other similar, but dull, devices were found earlier in India, the precursor to the European version was created independently in China. Originally it was used simply as a mounting aid, but as Chinese cavalrymen began to use heavier weapons and armor, the stirrup was developed so that they could effectively overpower a head in charge. The knights of European feudal times who charged across fields and dominated war were a product of the Chinese stirrup. While one Chinese invention would give power to the knights, another, older one would begin to take it away. During the period of civil war following the fall of the Zhou dynasty in the 7th century BC, military innovation was the key to survival. One of the products of this period was the crossbow. Initially a cumbersome but effective weapon, the crossbow required strong men on the ground to arm it. Later, a cocking piece was invented so that the crossbowman could cock the crossbow in a standing position, which allows for greater speed. The crossbow remained a Chinese weapon until its arrival in Europe at the beginning of the second millennium. Over the centuries of feudal Europe, the crossbow became widespread and with it, a peasant could kill a dedicated, fully armored knight with only a few days of training. While the Knight would remain a power on the battlefield for some time, his status began to change. Gunpowder is undoubtedly the most famous and influential Chinese military invention. Its discovery was something of an accident, the result of the Taoists' search for ways to create an elixir of immortality. At first, this new discovery was used in festivals as a firecracker to scare away evil spirits but it would soon find its way onto the fields of war. Powder grenades were first used after the fall of the Tang dynasty in 906 AD to compensate for the Chinese's loss of horse breeding land to their northern enemies. The Chinese used grenades to frighten their enemies' horses so they could gain an advantage in battle. Gunpowder was also used to fuel rockets that could be used in maritime and land warfare. The "honeycomb" was one such weapon, which fired several arrows simultaneously with an explosive dart. The use of cannon would give the Chinese a useful advantage over their enemies, but gunpowder's greatest influence would be in Europe, where it would change warfare by bringing about the downfall of the knight, eliminatingthe usefulness of castles and ultimately allowing Europeans to conquer foreign countries. worlds. During a period of Chinese complacency, the weapon developed in Europe as a powerful weapon that would later come back to haunt China. Throughout their history, the Chinese have had a relatively high population. This forced them to find new, efficient farming methods that are still used today. A simple but important technique used by the Chinese was row planting, invented around 600 BC. The seeds were planted by hand in rows so that they would not interfere with each other. Instead, Europeans simply threw the seeds onto the ground, which would cause interference and ultimately lower crop yields. It was not until the 17th century that Europeans adopted this method. The technique is still relevant today, even if machines now do most of the work. To complete row planting, a device was developed called a seeder. Thanks to this, the farmer no longer needed to plant the seeds by hand, allowing faster work and a larger area. The seeder would also emigrate to Europe. While plows were used in all parts of the world, those in China were far superior. Made of iron, the plow had a square, sturdy frame, strong, heavy, well-designed shares, and new moldboards far in advance of any plows elsewhere. The biggest feature was an adjustable stand that precisely set the depth at which it plowed. In the 17th century, Europeans abandoned their own plows for this 2,000-year-old, but more advanced, technology. Only once these and other Chinese agricultural methods reached Europe could the agricultural revolution occur as it did. Since the agricultural revolution was the precursor, the industrial revolution in Europe was indirectly the result of the Chinese. Johan Gutenberg was very famous for his invention of movable type printing. However, it was actually the Chinese who created this invention first. Gutenberg did develop his press independently of China, but it is another Chinese invention; papermaking was a necessary ingredient. China began making paper in the second century BC. It was more reliable than bamboo strips and less expensive than silk, so it was widely used by scholars, government officials, and many members of the general population. Through knowledge of Chinese slaves made by Arab traders, the papermaking technique was passed to the West where it also became widely used. In the 15th century, it was only with the knowledge of papermaking technology that Gutenberg developed the printing press that revolutionized Europe. While it was still used to print thousands of copies for a variety of works, the 400-year-old Chinese version of the printing press did not have the enormous impact in China as its eastern equivalent in Europe (mainly due to the 60,000 different characters). Nevertheless, it was a Chinese technique that created one of Europe's most famous and important inventions. Another important area that the Chinese contributed to was naval technology. Without a device borrowed from the Chinese, the great journeys of Europeans around the world would not be possible. This invention was the stern rudder. Before the rudder came to Europe around 1100 AD, ships could only turn using steering oars. Long voyages across oceans were..