ARCHERS throughout the world are agreed that the shortest practical range is twenty-five cubits and the longest is one hundred and twenty-five cubits; while the limit beyond which no accurate shooting is possible is three hundred cubits. One archer has stated that the best range should measure forty-five bow-lengths, and that anyone who shoots beyond that limit commits a mistake; but he failed to mention whether the bow should be braced or unbraced when measuring out the course. If it were braced, the distance would be roughly one hundred and twentyfive cubits, which is exactly what we have said before; but if it were unbraced, the distance would be one hundred and forty cubits, assuming that the length of the bow is three cubits and one finger.32
Whether the bow is self or composite, the relative range remains the same in length or shortness. This will be discussed later under a special section where we shall show that the variations in the length and shortness of the bow depend upon the size of the archer himself. In fact, no one is known to have shot beyond forty-five bow-lengths and to have still remained accurate, since then he is compelled to raise his left hand in order that the arrow may reach the target, with the result that the bow is held high and his sight low, thereby making his aim a matter of guessing and approximation. Furthermore, his arrow, on leaving the bow, rises above it as much as the stature of a man or more, and falls on the target obliquely from above; which is considered by experts to be a grave blemish. The reason which made experts hold that correct shooting is limited to a range of forty-five bow- lengths was experience, which showed that the arrow then left the bow straight-neither rising above nor falling below until it hit the mark or approached it. However, an arrow in flight should rise above the ground half a bow-length over and above the distance between the upper bow-tip and the ground-this being in the case of the sitting archer-thereby assuring a straight course without rising high or falling low. This is one of the main secrets of the profession of archery, though it has been forgotten by many an archer and still many more have never even known it, so that only a few are aware of it.
The soundness of this theory of a range of forty-five bow-lengths has been established and its superiority and excellence have been proven. Its advocates do not permit shooting beyond that distance. As a matter of fact, it is less than half the limit of possible effective range, although, according to experts, no accuracy is sure beyond it.
Those who have permitted shooting the limit of possible effectiveness, which is three hundred cubits, have done so on the assumption that strong and heavy bows are capable of casting arrows straight for that distance-without rising high or dropping low-especially when the archers who wield them follow the method of not raising the hand for a distant target nor dropping it for a near one, but rectify any error in shooting-whether on the excessive side or on the short side-by projecting the lower siyah of the bow to the left if they desire an increase of cast, or by bringing it in toward the side if they desire a decrease. But those who follow the method of raising the hand in order to counteract, or compensate for, any possibility of the arrow’s falling short of the mark, or of dropping the hand to avoid its going beyond, hold that aiming along the arm and locked fingers is just as good as aiming along the arrowhead and is unaffected by dropping the sight. One flaw, however, appears in the method; namely, that the arrow falls on the target obliquely from above and rests thereon as though it were dangling. This is unacceptable in tournaments.
Abu-Hashim al-Mawardi and Ishaq al-Raqqi held that the way to correct the error of excess or loss in the range is by raising the left hand in the case of loss, when the arrow falls short of the target, and by lowering it in the case of excess, when the arrow falls beyond the target.
If you have a strong bow which weighs two hundred rotls,33 and wish to shoot a distance of three hundred cubits, you should align your little finger with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of two hundred and fifty cubits, you should align your ring finger with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of two hundred cubits, you should align your middle finger with the
top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of one hundred and fifty cubits, you should align your index finger with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of one hundred and twenty-five cubits, you should align the arrowhead with the center of the target.
If your bow weighs a hundred rotls or more, but less than two hundred rotls, and you wish to shoot a distance of three hundred cubits, you should align your left forearm with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of two hundred and fifty cubits, you should align your little finger with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of two hundred cubits, you should align your ring finger with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of one hundred and fifty cubits, you should align your middle finger with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance of one hundred cubits, you should align the part between the knuckles of the base of the index finger and the middle finger with the top of the target; if you wish to shoot a distance between fifty and twenty- five cubits, you should align the arrowhead with the center of the target.34
If, either because of the strength of the bow or because of the shortness of the range or because of both, the arrow should fall beyond the target, you should lower your left hand gradually according to the gradations already mentioned. If, either because of the weakness of the bow or because of the length of the range or because of both, it should fall short of the target, you should raise your left hand gradually according to the same gradations.
Tahir al-Balkhi maintained that the way to correct any excess or loss in the range of the arrow was by bringing the lower siyah in toward his side in the case of excess, and by raising the bow with his wrist in the case of loss; or, by raising the bow with his wrist and projecting the lower siyah away from his side if the loss persisted, without resorting to the device of raising the left hand in the case of loss in the range of the arrow or dropping it in the case of excess therein. Instead, he would hold the last knuckle of the thumb of his left hand on a level with his left shoulder when he stretched out his left arm for aiming, and would correct any error therein by bringing the lower siyah in toward his side to an extent which would rectify the error and bring the arrow closer to the target in the case of excess, and by pushing out the bow with his wrist in the case of loss. If the arrow still fell short of the target, he would push the bow out with his wrist and project the lower siyah away from his side to an extent which would rectify the error and bring the arrow closer to the target.
All this can be done only after determining the weight of the bow; whether it is light or heavy and how much in either case.
Tahir al-Balkhi declared that experts are agreed that the top of the target (qirtas) is the central point on its upper edge; but I say that its top is the extreme point of its upper right corner because, when the archer aligns the hand which holds the arrow with the upper right corner of the target, his left hand will be in line with the central point.
Some experts have said that this method of shooting is good only for those who aim from the inside of the bow and is useless for those who aim from the outside.