At the moment, when it comes to technology, science and culture, it seems that China is simply lapping up the waste of the Western world and doing what it can with it. It hasn't always been this way. Throughout history, China has been a rather ingenious and creative civilization and has often been far ahead of its time. Indeed, today's advanced world is not only the product of Western inventions, but also Eastern ones. The Chinese invented many things that greatly influenced the future of the West and the world as a whole. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayOne field in which the Chinese created many innovative and revolutionary inventions was warfare. One such invention, the stirrup, was developed during the Han period to gain equal footing in battle with the confident knights of the west. While other similar, but lackluster devices have been found in India before, the precursor to the European version was created independently in China. It was originally used simply as an aid in mounting, but as Chinese knights began to use heavier weapons and armor, the stirrup was developed so that they could effectively dominate a charging head. The knights of Europe's feudal age who charged across fields and dominated warfare were a product of the Chinese stirrup. While one Chinese invention would give the Knights power, an earlier one would begin to take it away. During the period of civil war following the fall of the Zhou Dynasty in the 7th century BC, military innovation was key to survival. A product of this period was the crossbow. Initially a cumbersome but effective weapon, the crossbow required strong men lying on the ground to cock it. Later a piece of armament was invented so that the crossbowman could cock the crossbow while standing, resulting in greater speed. The crossbow would remain a Chinese weapon until its arrival in Europe around the beginning of the second millennium. Over the centuries of feudal Europe the crossbow became widespread, and with it a peasant could kill a dedicated, fully armed knight with only a few days of training. While the Knight would remain a power on the battlefield for some time, his status was beginning to change. Gunpowder is undoubtedly the most famous and influential of China's war inventions. Its discovery was somewhat of an accident, the result of Taoists searching for ways to create an elixir of immortality. Initially, this new discovery was used at festivals as firecrackers to scare away evil spirits, but it would soon find its way onto the war fields. Gunpowder grenades were first used after the fall of the T'ang dynasty in 906 AD to compensate for the Chinese loss of horse breeding land to their enemies in the north. The Chinese used grenades to scare away their enemies' horses so they could gain an advantage in battle. Gunpowder was also used to fuel rockets that could be used in both sea and land warfare. The "bee's nest" was one such weapon, firing multiple arrows at once with an explosive sting. The use of the gun would give the Chinese a useful advantage over their enemies, but gunpowder's greatest influence would be in Europe, where it would change warfare leading to the fall of the Knight, eliminating the usefulness of castles and ultimately allowing the Europeans to conquer foreign countries. worlds. During a period of Chinese complacency, the pistol developed in Europe asa powerful weapon that would later come back to haunt China. Throughout their history the Chinese have had a relatively large population. This forced them to find new and efficient farming methods, which are still used today. A simple but important technique used by the Chinese was row planting, invented around 600 BC. Seeds were planted by hand in rows so that they would not fall apart and interfere with each other. Europeans instead simply threw the seeds on the ground, which would have caused interference and ultimately lower crop yields. It was only in the 17th century that Europeans borrowed this method. The technique is still current, even if machines now do most of the work. To complement row planting, a device called a seeder was developed. This way the farmer did not need to plant the seeds by hand, resulting in faster work and greater cultivated area. The seed drill would also emigrate to Europe. Although plows were used in all parts of the world, Chinese plows were far superior. Made of iron, the plow had a sturdy, square frame, strong, heavy, well-designed plowshares, and new moldboards that were far in advance of any plow elsewhere. The most important feature was an adjustable post that precisely adjusted the depth to which it would plow. In the 17th century, Europeans abandoned their plows for this 2,000-year-old but more advanced technological tool. It was only once these and other Chinese farming methods reached Europe that the agricultural revolution could take place as it did. Since the agricultural revolution was its precursor, the industrial revolution in Europe was indirectly the result of Chinese action. Johan Gutenberg was much celebrated for his invention of the movable type printing press. Yet in reality it was the Chinese who first created this invention. Gutenberg developed his printing press independently of China, but another Chinese invention; papermaking was a necessary ingredient. China first began producing paper in the 2nd century BC. It was more reliable than bamboo strips and cheaper than silk, so it was widely used by scholars, government officials, and many among the general population. Through the knowledge of the Chinese enslaved by Arab traders, the technique of papermaking was transmitted to the West where it also became widely used. In the 15th century, with only known papermaking technology, Gutenberg developed the printing press that revolutionized Europe. Although it was still used to print thousands of copies for a variety of works, the Chinese version of the printing press, older than 400 years, did not have the huge impact in China as its eastern equivalent in Europe (mainly due to the 60,000 various printing presses). characters). However, it was a Chinese technique that allowed the creation of one of the most famous and important inventions in Europe. Another important field to which the Chinese contributed was naval technology. Without a device borrowed from the Chinese, the great journeys of Europeans around the world would not be possible. This invention was the stern rudder. Before the rudder arrived in Europe around 1100 AD, ships could only turn using oars. Long voyages across oceans were only possible with the rudder and so the Chinese made many voyages of discovery. They rounded the Cape of Good Hope long before the Europeans and also arrived in Australia first. There is even evidence that the Chinese were the first to reach America. Yet it was only a one-way trip, as no one is.