Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires

This week on the podcast, we explore the role of the horse in Chinese culture with author David Chaffetz, whose new book Raiders, Rulers, and Traders traces the sweeping impact of horse domestication across world civilizations. Chaffetz explains how equestrian cultures not only transformed warfare and mobility in China, but also reshaped the very boundaries of empire and cultural identity. Our conversation follows China’s long and complex relationship with the horse, from defending against nomadic cavalry along the northern frontier to importing prized horses through Silk Road diplomacy. Chaffetz recounts the challenges faced by Chinese dynasties in breeding horses to match the superior mounts of Mongol raiders. We also explore the echoes of China’s horse culture preserved in relics, from paintings and artifacts to the horse statues unearthed among the Terracotta Warriors.

You can listen to Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires is an episode from Barbarians at the Gate by Barbarians at the Gate.

This episode is 0:31:37 long.

This episode was published on Jul 1, 2025.

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