武备志

《武备志》，又称《武备全书》，明代茅元仪辑，240卷，10405页。于明天启元年（1621年）编成，集历代有关军事书籍2000余种，并多付插图。明代兵书中以《武备志》篇幅最大，图像、辑录远超过宋代的《武经总要》，然而有些火器绘图并不确切，只能做为参考。

概要

全书分五部分。

《兵诀评》18卷，辑《孙子》、《吴子》、《司马法》，《三略》、《六韬》、《尉缭子》、《李卫公问对》、《太白阴经》等九家兵书。

《战略考》31卷，辑历代用兵得失，起自春秋，迄于元代。

《阵练制》41卷，辑历代阵图、教练将士、训习弓、弩、剑、刀、枪、镋钯、藤牌、狼筅、棍、拳技艺。其中刀法演示还把部分刀手画成猿猴。

《军资乘》55卷，辑立营、行军、旌旗、军械、战船、火器、屯田、水利、河槽、海运、医药、马匹等事。

《占度载》96卷，辑阴阳占卜、奇门六壬及方舆、海防、江防、航海等事。

The Wubei Zhi (Chinese: 武備志; Treatise on Armament Technology or Records of Armaments and Military Provisions) is a military book in Chinese history. It was compiled in 1621 by Mao Yuanyi (茅元儀 Máo Yuányí; 1594–1640?), an officer of waterborne troops in the Ming dynasty. The Wubei Zhi contains 240 volumes, 10,405 pages, and more than 200,000 Chinese characters.

Structure

Wubei Zhi consists of five sections, "Bing Jue Ping", "Zhan Lue Kao", "Zhen Lian Zhi", "Jun Zi Sheng", and "Zhan Du Zai".

"Bing Jue Ping" (Commentary on Military Formulae)

Containing 18 chapters, this section includes military theories from significant figures including, but not limited to, Sun Tzu. Some of these theories date back to the last years of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, more than 1,800 years before the editor.

"Zhan Lue Kao" (Consideration of Tactics)

This section consists of 31 chapters, and describes more than 600 specific examples of battles that took place between the Eastern Zhou dynasty and the Yuan dynasty. Among these are the Battle of Maling and Battle of Red Cliffs, the latter of which is a classic example of defeating an overpowering enemy.

"Zhen Lian Zhi" (Record of Formations and Training)

This section of the book contains 41 chapters. It contains different methods of training troops, including infantry, cavalry, and chariots, as well as individual martial arts training with different weapons such as the spear and Dao.

"Jun Zi Sheng" (Summary of Logistics)

This section is divided into 55 categories, covering a variety of contents related to wartime logistics, such as marching, encampments, troops arrays, transmitting orders, attacking and defending cities, and provision of food, weapons, healthcare, and transportation, among others.

"Zhan Du Zai"

In this section, which is 96 chapters long, the author discusses aspects of weather and geographic features that are related to combat, as well as traditional Chinese methods of divination, formation, and finally, marine navigation. Included into this section is the so-called "Mao Kun map", the unique surviving map representing the Pacific and Indian Ocean shipping routes used by the fleets of Zheng He.

Impact

Being known as "a military encyclopedia in ancient China", Wubei Zhi is one of the most influential works in Chinese history on warfare. It is a rare source of many maps and weapon designs, and contributed enormously to its various chapters' corresponding areas. It also provides an account of ancient Chinese military theories and Chinese militarists' thoughts.