Who Invented the Wheelbarrow?

It may look like one of the simplest tools ever made—a wheel, two handles and a box—but the humble wheelbarrow was an invention that dramatically changed the way people moved heavy loads.

And its story begins in ancient China.

The earliest solid evidence of wheelbarrows comes from China during the Han Dynasty, with tomb paintings and reliefs from around the 2nd century AD showing wheelbarrow-like carts being used to transport goods.

Chinese tradition also associates the invention with the famous military strategist Zhuge Liang, who lived from AD 181 to 234. According to later accounts, he used a device sometimes called the "wooden ox" to transport military supplies.

However, wheelbarrow-like vehicles appear in Chinese artwork from before Zhuge Liang's time, so historians generally don't consider him the original inventor.

What Made the Chinese Wheelbarrow Different?

Many early Chinese wheelbarrows had their large wheel positioned near the centre of the load.

This was remarkably clever.

Instead of the person carrying much of the weight with their arms, the central wheel supported a large portion of the load. That meant a single person could move surprisingly heavy cargo

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Wheelbarrows were used to carry food, building materials, farm produce, military supplies and even people

Some later Chinese wheelbarrows were so large that passengers could sit on either side of the wheel.

The Wheelbarrow Reaches Europe

The wheelbarrow seems to have appeared independently in medieval Europe by around the 12th or 13th century.

European designs were somewhat different.

Instead of placing the wheel beneath the centre of the load, Europeans generally positioned a smaller wheel at the front, with the operator lifting the handles at the back.

That basic design should look very familiar—because it is essentially the wheelbarrow still sitting in gardens, farms and construction sites today.

One Wheel, A Huge Difference

The brilliance of the wheelbarrow isn't complicated machinery. It's the way the wheel and handles work together.

The wheel carries much of the load while the handles give the operator leverage, allowing one person to move materials that might otherwise require several people.

Nearly two thousand years after the earliest known examples appeared, we are still using essentially the same idea.

Sometimes the simplest inventions really are the ones that last.

Fun Fact:

Some Chinese wheelbarrows became known as "sailing carriages" because they were fitted with sails!

With the wind behind them, the sail could help propel the heavily loaded wheelbarrow along the road, reducing the amount of effort required from the person pushing it.