ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how the war against the Mongols improved Chinese technological progress in the field of firearms and fortification during the sixteenth century. The technological advance in the war against the Mongols concerns fortification. Furthermore, the military performance of the Mongols initiated learning processes in which the supporters of technological progress criticized the old system of Chinese firearms and analysed the advantages of new technologies. The adoption of European firearms enhanced the quality of Chinese weapons. The increasing number of European cannons demonstrates that Chinese craftsmen acquired competence and the know-how to produce these weapons. Chinese and Western literature provide a wealth of information about the dimensions of the work. Chinese efforts to expand the fortification system provoked Mongolian raids, which increased during the Jiajing reign. Under the strain of increasing warfare, the impressive Great Wall was developed as a symbol of technological advance in fortification.
