The Stirrup
The invention that created knights and empires.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →First widely used in Asia, the stirrup provided riders with incredible stability on horseback. Before the stirrup, a cavalryman wielding a heavy weapon or lance would easily fall off their horse upon impact.
Verified Facts
- By locking the rider securely to the horse, the stirrup allowed the full momentum of a galloping horse to be transferred into the tip of a lance.
- This single invention gave birth to heavy cavalry, directly leading to the rise of the European Knight and the feudal system that dominated the Middle Ages.
- It was arguably the most significant invention in warfare between the chariot and gunpowder.