Dismounting Tibetans

[Andreas Johansson]

I read or heard somewhere that acc'd to a Tang Chinese(?) account, Tibetan cavalry would initiate battle with a mounted charge, and that if that failed to break the enemy, they'd dismount to try again on foot. Does anyone recognize this and know if it's reliable?

[Duncan Head]

The standard Tang account says:

"The Tibetan men and horses all wear chain mail armour of extremely fine workmanship. It envelops them completely leaving openings for only the eyes so that strong bows and sharp swords cannot injure them. When they do battle they must dismount and array themselves in ranks. When one dies another takes his place. To the end they are not willing to retreat."

This is from the Tongdian, but variants occur in two or three places, I believe. So dismounting is reliable, but the "initial mounted charge" may not be.

[Andreas Johansson]

Thanks. The version I heard (possibly read, but I think I was told it by a fellow wargamer) might be an overinterpretation or misrecollection of that.

[tadamson]

The Tibetan "standing like an iron statue" is in a few Tang poems.
Later though Tibetan armies are fierce charging heavy cavalry.

Tom..