Holding the reins of power

Horses are the only animal discussed in the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips because these manuscripts were primarily written for the nobility, focusing on state governance and administration, says Huang Dekuan, director of the Research and Conservation Center for Unearthed Texts at Tsinghua University.

Horses held exceptionally high status in national life at the time, Huang says. From pulling chariots to their later development into cavalry, horses directly enhanced a state's military strength and productivity.

Several manuscripts suggest that during the Warring States Period, a nation's strength was epitomized by "a million armored soldiers, a thousand chariots, and 10,000 cavalry horses", Huang says. This formulation is comparable to how modern societies measure military strength by referencing advanced weaponry, he adds.

"Therefore, horses were a direct symbol of military power and advanced productivity during that era," he says.

He also notes that, beyond their use in warfare and chariots, horses symbolized social status. Strict rules governed how many horses could pull a chariot, depending on rank: six for the monarch, five for feudal lords, four for high ministers, three for lower-ranking officials, two for scholars and one for commoners.

Chariot driving was also one of the "Six Arts", making mastery of horse management a core component of elite education.

"In essence, these documents about horses are closely related to the politics, history, and culture of the time, falling under the category of equine management documents. They reflect a political system and organization," says Huang.

Alongside the 15th volume of the bamboo manuscripts, the event launched the fifth to eighth volumes in the second collection of Collated Interpretations of the Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts and the seventh volume of The Tsinghua University Warring States Manuscripts: Studies and Translations.