BC, strapped to the chest instead of the neck, an innovation later expanded to a collar harness. This innovation, along with the wheelbarrow, allowed large-scale transportation to occur, allowing huge armies numbering hundreds of thousands of men in the field. Chinese armies were also backed by a vast complex of arms-producing factories. State-owned factories turned out weapons by the thousands, though some dynasties (such as the Later Han) privatized their arms industry and acquired weapons from private merchants. Rations During the Han dynasty, Chinese developed methods of food preservation for military rations during campaigns such as drying meat into jerky and cooking, roasting, and drying grain. Command In early Chinese armies, command of armies was based on birth rather than merit. For example, in the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (771 BC–476 BC), command was delegated to the ruler, the crown prince, and the second son. By the time of the Warring States Period, generals were appointed based on merit rather than birth, the majority of whom were talented individuals who gradually rose through the ranks. Nevertheless, Chinese armies were sometimes commanded by individuals other than generals. For example, during the Tang dynasty, the emperor instituted "Army supervisors" who spied on the generals and interfered in their commands, although most of these practices were short-lived as they disrupted the efficiency of the army. See also History of the Great Wall of China List of Chinese battles References Citations Sources Dreyer, Edward L. (1988). "Military origins of Ming China", in Twitchett, Denis and Mote, Frederick W. (eds.), The Ming Dynasty, Part 1, The Cambridge History of China, 7. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 58–107, Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (1999). The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Graff, Andrew David (2002). Medieval Chinese Warfare: 200-900. Routledge. Graff, David Andrew and Robin Higham. A Military History of China (Boulder: Westview Press 2002). Li, Bo and Zheng, Yin (2001). 5000 years of Chinese history . Inner Mongolian People's Publishing Corp. . Sawyer, Ralph D. Ancient Chinese Warfare (Basic Books; 2011) 554 pages; uses archaeological data, oracular inscriptions, and other sources in a study of Chinese warfare, with a focus on the Shang Dynasty (c. 1766-1122 BC). Sun Tzu, The Art of War, Translated by Sam B. Griffith (2006), Blue Heron Books, . Public domain Further reading External links Chinese Siege Warfare: Mechanical Artillery and Siege Weapons of