Top strongest armies in the ancient world
Which military force in history would be deemed to be the most potent amongst strongest armies is impossible to say. Could the Spartans and their fictitious 300 soldiers have repelled the Persian army? Or the Mongols, who invaded in enormous numbers while the bigger Chinese force remained at home? It might be Alexander the Great’s because he only turned around at the Euphrates after his soldiers were worn out and lonely. The tales of the strongest armies are enormous, And so is the race to be one of the strongest armies.
Finding the biggest armies is a little easier. This article examines the biggest armies in each era throughout history. It is crucial that we take into account both the population of the country the army originated from as well as the population of the entire world while examining them.
Army of the Urik: strongest armies
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The Urik Era lasted in Mesopotamia and the Middle East from 4100 to 2900 BCE. It was given the name Urik after one of the first “cities” in the Middle East, which was established by King Enmerkar. It is thought that the term “Urik” would gradually change into the Aramaic word “Erech” and then the word “Iraq” in English.
The “cylinder seal,” the early Ziggaruts, and Gilgamesh, a later ruler of Urik, are all well-known (used for the first signatures). It is estimated that the empire’s army at its height consisted of 4,000 soldiers, or 5% of the total population. This army would consist of 50–100 man troops that would be equipped with spears and axes, wear bronze helms, and have bronze discs sewed into their cloaks.
The city was significant for four thousand years under the Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and ultimately the Greeks, despite the brief lifespan of the empire. But, by 700 AD, the city had been completely abandoned because to droughts and perhaps the constantly shifting Euphrates currents. Although it was never truly lost, it was only properly rediscovered in 1849.
the Xia Dynasty’s army: strongest armies
China may have had soldiers before Urik, but the Xia Dynasty’s army, which ruled approximately 2000 BCE, is the first one that has been identified. It was a twelve thousand man army, far superior to the Mesopotamian forces.
The troops of this army were not only well-trained but also employed for non-military tasks, according to traditional narratives from the era. Emperor Yu the Great is most renowned for having his army construct canals to halt the Yellow River from continuously flooding.
The sole known military confrontation was a fiercely one-sided conflict with the Sanmiao tribe. They were forced into exile by the army after it drove them south of the Han River. Yu’s position as the first Chinese Dynasty’s ruler was solidified by this action.
The Egyptian Army
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Around 1250 BCE, Ramesses the Great’s army became the first to reach 100,000 soldiers. Throughout his reign, the Egyptian pharaoh fought in numerous conflicts, including a 20-year conflict with the Hittites.
Ramesses had a strong navy in addition to an army, and his first battle was against pirates who had been raiding his commercial ships off the north coast. Archeological findings show that a large number of these pirates rebelled and joined the Egyptians, eventually joining the army. Later, this army would spread into Lebanon, Nubia, and Libya. Yu’s action solidified his position as the first Chinese Dynasty’s emperor.
The Persian Empire
The Persian Empire was the most powerful in the world by 500 BCE. Several texts claim that Cyrus the Great was the commander of an army that numbered over 500,000 men. They included mounted cavalry, chariots, spearmen, and archers. In addition, the empire employed “shield-bearers,” who helped archers fire from behind by forming a flimsy but effective wall. Thousands of these soldiers would later undergo additional training to become the first “special forces” in history. These soldiers became known as “the Immortals” throughout time.
Of course, we needed this army. Cyrus’s Achaemenid Empire was so vast that it is believed to have included 44% of all living peoples at the time. It covered a surface area of 5.5 million square kilometres.
This army most likely grown throughout time. According to Herodotus, Xerxes I, the great-grandson of Cyrus, led nearly a million warriors into battle against the Greeks. But Xerxes was killed less than a century after the empire was established. By 330 BCE, the Greeks led by Alexander the Great would finally overthrow the Persian Monarchy.
Army of the Maurya’s: strongest armies
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From 322 BCE until 185 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya and his sons ruled over India and its surroundings in their iron-age empire. Maurya wanted to build an army to take on the northern realm of Nanda in order to establish this vast dominion. Six hundred thousand infantry, nine thousand elephants, and a further thirty thousand cavalry made up the army, according to traditional Indian literature.
Unknown are the specifics of Maurya’s effort. While some scriptures assert that the Nanda empire’s capital fell swiftly, others assert that the capital itself never did. Once Alexander the Great died, Maurya moved west as well before signing a deal with Seleucus, who would give up land in exchange for Maurya’s troops and elephants fighting on his western front.
Chinese Ming Dynasty
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The population of the Chinese Ming Dynasty in 1500 ranged between 60 to 150 million. Due to the absence of a civilian census, it is challenging to further reduce this range. Yet, it is also noted that the Dynasty had about 1.3 million military personnel at the time. It appears that this is the first time humanity has witnessed a nation with an army larger than a million soldiers.
The Ming Dynasty made extensive use of archers and cavalry, and troops joined battalions according to their familial connections. 20% of Chinese households were classified as “Military Homes.” One male soldier for China had to be provided by these families by law. The family would be required to furnish another soldier in the event that this one passed away or was seriously injured. This would guarantee a sizable army and ensure that no family would ever lose all of its male members.
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