Did you know that the crossbow was actually invented in 700 BC? The crossbow was invented in ancient China during the Zhou Dynasty, around 700 BC. A Chinese text, dating to around 200 BC, credits Mr. Ch'in of Ch'u with creating the crossbow. It consisted of a horizontally mounted bow, with the addition of a butt and trigger. The crossbow derives from the horizontally mounted trap bow used by other civilizations in the same period. They had a range of up to 650 feet. The crossbow had such a complicated firing mechanism that it would have been nearly impossible for an enemy to understand how it worked, thus reducing the possibility that the crossbow could be copied by hostile civilizations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The crossbow was not invented as an instrument of war, but as a peacemaking device. It was invented to calm battles between states at the end of the Zhou Dynasty. The idea was that if someone appeared with a more advanced and more powerful weapon, everyone else would stop fighting and obey the people with crossbows. The crossbow was considered so advanced that around 200 BC a law was passed to prevent people from taking crossbows out of China, for fear of enemies copying them. Crossbows and triggers were mass-produced to such an extent that, around 157 BC, a prince named Liang Hsiao Wang was in charge of regiments numbering 50,000 men and several hundred thousand crossbows. Some crossbows were so large that they required several men to prepare them for shooting. And, in the 11th century, rapid-fire crossbows were developed that could fire 20 arrows in 15 seconds. The Chinese used the crossbow in battle as late as 1895. By then, of course, modern firearms had surpassed it. The crossbow is now used as a weapon for hunting and target shooting at archery ranges. Modern crossbows have many metal parts and are very light. A slightly modified version of the Chinese crossbow trigger mechanism is used in modern pistols. The ancient Chinese invented many things, but I think one of the most important is the crossbow. Crossbows have changed a lot since they were first invented by Mr. Ch'in. Originally the crossbow was made of bronze, now it is made of carbon materials. Initially the crossbow was used for war and peace. Now they are used for hunting purposes. Crossbows have changed a lot since they were invented.