气候环境对辽代契丹骑兵及骑战的影响——以其南进中原作战为例

Influence of Climate Environment on Qidan Cavalry and Battles in the Liao Dynasty——Analysis of the Fights in the Central Plains

在辽代,由契丹骑士与战马、弓箭、甲胄等组合而成的“特殊”兵种———契丹骑兵,其军事行动之所以需要某种特殊的气候环境,与常年生活在较高纬度干冷气候环境下的草原契丹人喜凉惧热之特殊体质以及战马、弓箭、甲胄等骑兵特殊装备的适干冷、怕湿热之特性有直接关系。并且,也正是由于契丹骑兵军事活动中所需的特殊气候环境,还催生了其“主动”南进中原出征作战时必有“季节性选择”的特殊战略则规。事实上,在契丹骑兵的诸多次南进中原作战过程中,气候环境都不同程度地对战事的结局产生过或利或弊的影响。

In the Liao Dynasty, the Qidan cavalry was a special troop and their military operations always depended on certain particular climate environment. That is because the Qidan people lived in the dry and cold northern area and they developed a special physical quality-to be used to cold and afraid of hotness. Besides,the Qidan weapons also had difficulty adapting to the wet and hot climate in the south. In fact,during the Liao Dynasty of 200 years or so,the Qidan cavalry had launched many wars to the Central Plains and climate environment had either positive or negative influence on the result of wars to various degrees.