I assume you've read Lynn White on this question? He devoted a whole book chapter to the stirrup and went into depth on the evidence for its introduction
Yup, this was prompted mostly by trying to reconcile White's Medieval Technology And Social Change with Quigley's Weapons Systems And Political Stability.
I'm not sure your explanation holds up. After all, Japan suffered a similar social collapse and ended up dominated by a feudal military elite; however, the Samurai are best known as heavy infantry.
Conversely, the Cataphracts originated in Persia, which did have a strong government.
For whatever reason, Europeans to have a cultural preference with infantry. Think of the shield wall, Roman legions, and the Greek phalanx. Persians and other related societies have a cultural preference for cavalry. It does not mean that the Europeans did not use cavalry or the Persians, infantry, but the preferences, and therefore the tactics, weapons, and culture were different. Also, the more rugged terrain especially forests, the farther West one went probably also has something to do with it as well.
I assume you've read Lynn White on this question? He devoted a whole book chapter to the stirrup and went into depth on the evidence for its introduction
Yup, this was prompted mostly by trying to reconcile White's Medieval Technology And Social Change with Quigley's Weapons Systems And Political Stability.
I'm not sure your explanation holds up. After all, Japan suffered a similar social collapse and ended up dominated by a feudal military elite; however, the Samurai are best known as heavy infantry.
Conversely, the Cataphracts originated in Persia, which did have a strong government.
For whatever reason, Europeans to have a cultural preference with infantry. Think of the shield wall, Roman legions, and the Greek phalanx. Persians and other related societies have a cultural preference for cavalry. It does not mean that the Europeans did not use cavalry or the Persians, infantry, but the preferences, and therefore the tactics, weapons, and culture were different. Also, the more rugged terrain especially forests, the farther West one went probably also has something to do with it as well.