Editing Trebuchet (section)

====China====
[[File:武備志 茅元儀 明朝 砲 01.jpg|thumb|A Chinese counterweight trebuchet packed for transport, from the ''[[Wubei Zhi]]'', 17th c.{{sfn|Needham|1986|p=223}}]]
Counterweight trebuchets do not appear with certainty in Chinese historical records until about 1268. Prior to 1268, the counterweight trebuchet may have been used in 1232 by the [[Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jurchen Jin]] commander Qiang Shen. Qiang invented a device called the "Arresting Trebuchet" which only needed a few men to work it, and could hurl great stones more than a hundred paces, further than even the strongest traction trebuchet. However no other details on the machine are given. Qiang died the following year and no further references to the Arresting Trebuchet appear.{{sfn|Liang|2006}}{{sfn|Needham|1994|p=218}} The earliest definite mention of the counterweight trebuchet in China was in 1268, when the Mongols laid siege to Fancheng and Xiangyang. After failing to take the twin cities of Fancheng and Xiangyang for several years, collectively known as the [[Battle of Xiangyang|siege of Fancheng and Xiangyang]], the [[Mongol]] army brought in two Persian engineers to build hinged counterweight trebuchets. Known as the Huihui trebuchet (回回砲, where "[[Hui people|huihui]]" is a loose slang referring to any Muslims), or Xiangyang trebuchet (襄陽砲) because they were first encountered in that battle. [[Ismail (mangonel expert)|Ismail]] and [[Al al-Din|Al-aud-Din]] travelled to South China from [[Iraq]] and built trebuchets for the siege.<ref name="Citiy of Heavenly Tranquility"/> Chinese and Muslim engineers operated artillery and siege engines for the Mongol armies.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CHzGvqRbV_IC&q=chinese+engines+artillery+chinese+muslim+engineers&pg=PA282|title=The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia|author=René Grousset|year=1970|publisher=Rutgers University Press|edition=reprint|isbn=978-0813513041|page=283|access-date=2010-10-28}}</ref> By 1283, counterweight trebuchets were also used in Southeast Asia by the [[Chams]] against the [[Yuan dynasty]].{{sfn|Purton|2009|p=201}}

{{blockquote|The design of the Muslim trebuchets came originally from the Muslim countries, and they were more powerful than ordinary trebuchets. In the case of the largest ones, the wooden framework stood above a hole in the ground. The projectiles were several feet in diameter, and when they fell to the earth they made a hole three or four feet deep. when [the artillerists] wanted to hurl them to a great range, they added weight [to the counterpoise] and set it further back [on the arm] when they needed only a shorter distance, they set it forward, nearer [the fulcrum].{{sfn|Needham|1994|p=221}}|Zheng Sixiao}}