My thoughts on the Olympics
In order for it to be recognized though, it needs to become well established. Golf was a sport of gentleman, it is one of the most lucrative and affluent sports in the world now, yet even simple folk can access it. Therefore, I think that in order for the horseback archery traditions to be reestablished in this modern world, we ought to not just have the occasional enthusiast, hobbiest, or craftsman to be dedicated to the art, but the Kings and Emirates of the East, the country clubs of the West, and the equestrians of the world to become drawn to it. This would ensure the sport's vitality and longevity. Then, it would be able to become immortalized in the Olympics.
Maybe I'm misreading this, but horseback archery did not originate with Islamic nations. It had been used to devastating effect at least 1,000 years before the Muslims started using it. They also are not responsible for taking it to Japan. It had been used there for a couple of centuries before Islam came into existence.mongolianarcher wrote:
Horseback archery being a unique sport of the heritage of the Islamic nations as a whole, even passing through the Middle East all the way to the steppes of Russia, Mongolia, and to the island nation of Japan, ought to be recognized as vital as any other sport practiced.
The Chinese started to adopt horseback archery in 307 BC (with the king of the state of Zhao issuing his military reforms during the Warring States period). But this was in response to the Xiongnu, a nomad people living next to China who had been doing mounted archery long before then. Still, this is several centuries before the creation of Islam.Dan wrote:
Maybe I'm misreading this, but horseback archery did not originate with Islamic nations. It had been used to devastating effect at least 1,000 years before the Muslims started using it. They also are not responsible for taking it to Japan. It had been used there for a couple of centuries before Islam came into existence.
That said, there are earlier depictions of mounted archers originating from the Middle East (which wasn't Islamic at the time), so someone familiar with Middle Eastern archery history would be in a better position to comment. (*ahem ahem* Bede *ahem ahem*).
Were they the ones who are believed to be the Huns in early form?Justin Ma wrote:
But this was in response to the Xiongnu, a nomad people living next to China who had been doing mounted archery long before then. Still, this is several centuries before the creation of Islam.