The Shang dynasty (Chinese: 商朝; pinyin: Shāng Cháo), also known as the Yin dynasty (Chinese: 殷代; pinyin: Yīn Dài), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang
Tang of Shang
Tang or Cheng Tang, recorded on oracle bones as Da Yi, was the first king of the Shang dynasty in Chinese history. He overthrew Jie, the last ruler of the Xia dynasty.
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He is the second longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth longest river system in the world at the estimated length of 5,464 km. Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai province of Western China, it flows through nine provinces, a…
Xia dynasty
The Xia dynasty is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese history. According to tradition, the Xia dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors, gave his throne to him. The Xia was later succeeded by the Shang dynasty.
What are some things the Shang dynasty accomplished?
The Shang Dynasty accomplished four main things in effecting today's Chinese culture. 1)They developed and origionated what is now known today as Chinese manuscript 2)The Shang also passed down the political system known as a heirarchy. 3)The Shang Dynasty excisted during China's bronze age, and so they passed on Bronze Technology. 4)Lastly ...
What was the Shang dynasty best known for?
What is the Shang dynasty best known for?
- Shang Dynasty begins. 1700 B.C.E.
- Spreading rule. 1700 B.C.E.
- King Da Yi. 1675 B.C.E - 1646 B.C.E.
- Yanshi gets discovered. 1557 B.C.E.
- Economy starts. 1500 B.C.E.
- Changed Capitals. 1384 B.C.E.
- Oracle bone script. 1200 B.C.E.
- Shang Dynasty ends. 1122 B.C.E.
What did the Shang dynasty people do for a living?
The Shang set the tone of culture for the later eras with dynastic succession, the political philosophy of the Mandate of Heaven, sophisticated craftsmanship as seen in their bronze works and silk industry, the character writing system, and other ways. Modern historians generally date the beginning of the Shang Dynasty to be 1600 BC.
What were the politics of the Shang dynasty?
Politics. The northern part of China was ruled by the Shang Kings. The kings of the Shang Dynasty, had a theocracy and a monarchy, where the Gods or deities are recognized as the supreme rulers, however the people were ruled by a king. In this type of government, the people involved were, the king, and his noblemen, fortune tellers, and governors.
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When did the Shang Dynasty exist?
The Shang Dynasty marked the middle of China's Bronze Age and was a dynasty that made great contributions to Chinese civilization.
Where did the Shang Dynasty exist?
Shang dynasty is located in the North China Plain in western China. Region controlled by Shang dynasty. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons. The Shang built huge cities with strong social class divisions, expanded earlier irrigation systems, excelled in the use of bronze, and developed a writing system.
Why did Shang Dynasty fall?
Shang Chou was ousted by the rebel leader Wu-wang in 1111 B.C.E. According to Chinese sages, when dynasties fell, it was because they lost the moral right to rule given by Heaven. Read the Mandate of Heaven from the Shu Jing, composed during the Zhou dynasty but written as advice to the second Shang king.
What is Shang Dynasty called today?
Shang dynastyShang (Yin) 商 (殷)1122 BC est1,250,000 km2 (480,000 sq mi)CurrencyShell money Shell mussels Tong BeiPreceded by Succeeded by Xia dynasty Zhou dynastyToday part ofChina18 more rows
Which is the first dynasty in the world?
The Xia dynasty was the first of many ancient Chinese ruling houses, thought to exist from around 2070 B.C.E.
How long did the Shang dynasty last?
The Shang dynasty—the first Chinese dynasty to leave historical records—is thought to have ruled from about 1600 to 1046 bce. (Some scholars date the Shang from the mid-18th to the late 12th century bce.)
Who killed the Shang Dynasty?
From the Shang to the Zhou dynasty The Shang Dynasty ruled a large section of East Asia for over 500 years. Eventually they were challenged by the Zhou, another powerful group located in the plains of Eastern China. The Zhou overthrew the last Shang king at the Battle of Muye in 1046 BCE.
Why is China banning Shang Chi?
Marvel's Shang-Chi could be banned in China because of links to racist character. Fu Manchu was Shang-Chi's father in the original Marvel comics. Marvel's Shang-Chi and the The Legend of the Ten Rings could be banned in China because of it links to "racist" character Fu Manchu.
Who destroyed the Shang Dynasty?
As one of the most controversial kings in the history of China, the King Zhou of Shang was always described as being aggressive, outrageous, and extravagant; together with his beloved evil queen Su Daji, they destroyed the kingdom together.
Did the Shang Dynasty last longer than the United States?
The Shang Dynasty lasted 554 years and so definitely longer than the United States has to date (2017).
What was the last Chinese dynasty?
The Qing Dynasty was the final imperial dynasty in China, lasting from 1644 to 1912.
Where is Shang now?
The territory of the Shang Dynasty contains today's hubei, Henan, Anhui, Shandong, Hubei, and Shanxi provinces with its central areas in Henan and Hebei provinces. Some Key Facts of the Shang Dynasty: Years from now: 3600 years ago. Capital: Anyang in today's Henan Province.
When and where was the Shang Dynasty?
The Shang Dynasty is the earliest ruling dynasty of China to be established in recorded history, though other dynasties predated it. The Shang ruled from 1600 to 1046 B.C. and heralded the Bronze Age in China. They were known for their advances in math, astronomy, artwork and military technology.
When and where did the Shang live?
Most historians now date the dynasty from 1600-1046 BC when it was succeeded by the Zhou Dynasty. The Shang Dynasty was centred around the Yellow River in North East China but moved its capital on a number of occasions. The artistry of its craftsmen has made the dynasty famous for its bronze and jade work.
Where is the site of the Shang city located today?
Zhengzhou Shang City is an important early capital city of China. The capital belonged to the early stage of Shang dynasty (ca. 1,600 BC) (Ren and Liu, 2019). This archeological site is located directly underneath the modern Zhengzhou city in central Henan Province and covers over 25 km2 (Chen, 1999).
Where were the Shang and Zhou Dynasty located?
Shaanxi Province1600–1046 B.C.), the earliest archaeologically recorded dynasty in Chinese history. The Shang dynasty was conquered by the people of Zhou, who came from farther up the Yellow River in the area of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province.
Who was the founder of the Shang Dynasty?
The founding myth of the Shang dynasty is described by Sima Qian in the Annals of the Yin. In the text, a woman named Jiandi (簡狄), who was the second wife of Emperor Ku, swallowed an egg dropped by a black bird (玄鳥) and subsequently gave birth miraculously to Xie (偰) – also appearing as Qi (契). Xie is said to have helped Yu the Great to control the Great Flood and for his service to have been granted a place called Shang as a fief.
How long did the Shang rule?
According to the traditional chronology based on calculations made approximately 2,000 years ago by Liu Xin, the Shang ruled from 1766 to 1122 BC, but according to the chronology based upon the "current text" of Bamboo Annals, they ruled from 1556 to 1046 BC.
What dynasty ruled the Yellow River Valley?
The Shang dynasty ( Chinese: 商朝; pinyin: Shāngcháo ), also historically known as the Yin dynasty ( 殷代; Yīndài ), was a Chinese dynasty that ruled in the middle and lower Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Zhou dynasty. The classic account of the Shang comes from texts such as the Book of Documents, Bamboo Annals and Records of the Grand Historian. According to the traditional chronology based on calculations made approximately 2,000 years ago by Liu Xin, the Shang ruled from 1766 to 1122 BC, but according to the chronology based upon the "current text" of Bamboo Annals, they ruled from 1556 to 1046 BC. The Xia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project dated them from c. 1600 to 1046 BC based on the carbon 14 dates of the Erligang site.
Why did Zhou Wu send his brothers to the Shang?
However, Zhou Wu sent three of his brothers and an army to ensure that Wu Geng would not rebel. After Zhou Wu's death, the Shang joined the Rebellion of the Three Guards against the Duke of Zhou, but the rebellion collapsed after three years, leaving Zhou in control of Shang territory.
What are the events of the Shang Dynasty?
Many events concerning the Shang dynasty are mentioned in various Chinese classics, including the Book of Documents, the Mencius and the Zuo Zhuan. Working from all the available documents, the Han dynasty historian Sima Qian assembled a sequential account of the Shang dynasty as part of his Records of the Grand Historian. His history describes some events in detail, while in other cases only the name of a king is given. A closely related, but slightly different, account is given by the Bamboo Annals. The Annals were interred in 296 BC, but the text has a complex history and the authenticity of the surviving versions is controversial.
What happened to the Yin diehards in Zhou?
After Shang's collapse, Zhou's rulers forcibly relocated "Yin diehards" (殷頑) and scattered them throughout Zhou territory. Some surviving members of the Shang royal family collectively changed their surname from the ancestral name Zi (子) to the name of their fallen dynasty, Yin.
Where are the Shang tombs?
Excavation at the Ruins of Yin (near modern-day Anyang ), which has been identified as the last Shang capital, uncovered eleven major royal tombs and the foundations of palaces and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices.
When was the Shang Dynasty founded?
The dates given for the founding of the Shang dynasty vary from about 1760 to 1520 bce , and the dates for the dynasty’s fall also vary, from 1122 to 1030 bce. The period of the dynasty’s rule has traditionally been dated 1766–1122 bce. However, more recent archaeological work has placed the Shang’s starting date at about 1600 bce ...
Where did the Shang people live?
Shang China was centred in the North China Plain and extended as far north as modern Shandong and Hebei provinces and westward through present-day Henan province. The kings of the Shang are believed to have occupied several capitals one after another, one of them possibly at modern Zhengzhou, where there are rich archaeological finds, but they settled at Anyang in the 14th century bce. The king appointed local governors, and there was an established class of nobles as well as the masses, whose chief labour was in agriculture. The king issued pronouncements as to when to plant crops, and the society had a highly developed calendar system with a 360-day year of 12 months of 30 days each. It was during the Shang that Chinese writing began to develop, and the symbol for “moon” was—as it has remained—that also for “month.” The calendar took cognizance of both lunar and solar cycles, and, when it became necessary to adjust the basically lunar year to the seasonal reality of the solar year, intercalary months were added.
What instruments did the Shang have?
Musical instruments had evidently come down from the Xia or whatever society preceded the Shang, for the early Shang instruments were well developed and included a clay ocarina, tuned chimes of stone, and bells and drums of bronze. (Legend traces the origin of pipes of bamboo earlier, even before the mythical Xia.)
What dynasty was Jade?
Jade carving became quite advanced during the Shang dynasty. Ceremonial weapons of jade were made, as well as jade fittings for actual weapons. Jade figurines included both human and animal shapes, carved in the round in careful detail. Many of those objects have been found in tombs of the period.
What were the buildings of the Shang period?
The architects of the Shang period built houses of timber over rammed-earth floors, with walls of wattle and daub and roofs of thatch. Tombs were dug in clay, and their walls show traces of paintings that strongly resemble some of the ornamentation and animal shapes reflected in the outstanding bronze work of the period. The earliest bronzes of the Shang were primitive, but a course of development is evident that culminates in elegant ceremonial objects as well as a substantial range of cooking and serving dishes and various utensils and ornaments. There was a three-legged li for cooking, and upon it could be fitted a bronze zeng, a bowl with a pierced bottom to function as a steamer—together called a yan. Serving bowls were often stemmed, and pouring vessels, such as the gu, had long spouts. Those and numerous other vessels were often richly decorated.
What type of writing did the Shang people use?
Three kinds of characters were used—pictographs, ideograms, and phonograms— and those records are the earliest known writing in China.
What was the first dynasty in China?
China: The first historical dynasty: the Shang. The 3rd and 2nd millennia were marked by the appearance of increasing warfare, complex urban settlements, intense status differentiation,...
When did the Shang Dynasty start?
Updated October 03, 2019. The Shang dynasty is thought to have lasted from c. 1600 to c.1100 BCE. It is also called the Yin Dynasty (or Shang-Yin). Tang the Great founded the dynasty.
How many people were in the Shang Dynasty?
The Shang probably had about 13.5 million people, according to Duan Chang-Qun et al. It was centered on the North China Plain northward to modern Shangdong and Hebei provinces and westward through the modern Henan province.
What was the last tyrannical king of the Shang Dynasty?
The final, tyrannical king of the Shang is commonly called King Zhou. He killed his own son, tortured and murdered his ministers and was overly influenced by his concubine.
Why did the Shang Dynasty change their capital?
The Shang changed their capital numerous times because of environmental problems, hostile neighbors, or because they were a semi-nomadic people used to moving.
What were the Shang kings linked to?
The Shang kings were linked to the rulers of the areas around who paid tribute and provided soldiers for military operations. The Shang kings had some bureaucracy with the highest offices presumed filled by close friends and family of the king. Records of major events were kept.
Who defeated the last king of the Shang?
He killed his own son, tortured and murdered his ministers and was overly influenced by his concubine. The Zhou army defeated the last king of the Shang, whom they called the Yin, at the Battle of Muye. The Yin King immolated himself.
What dynasty was the Bronze Kuei from?
Bronze kuei (food vessel) from the Shang Dynasty. N.S. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. The Shang dynasty is thought to have lasted from c. 1600 to c.1100 BCE.
What are the sources of the Shang Dynasty?
The traditional sources for the Shang era include the Bamboo Annals and the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian. These records were written much, much later than the Shang period, however; Sima Qian wasn't even born until around 145 to 135 BCE. As a result, modern historians were quite skeptical even about the existence of the Shang Dynasty until archaeology miraculously provided some proof.
What was the first Chinese imperial dynasty?
The Shang Dynasty is the first Chinese imperial dynasty for which we have actual documentary evidence. Since the Shang is so very ancient, the sources are unclear. We don't even know for sure when the Shang Dynasty began its rule over the Yellow River Valley of China. Some historians believe that it was around the year 1700 BCE, ...
Which dynasty succeeded the Xia?
In any case, the Shang Dynasty succeeded the Xia Dynasty, which was a legendary ruling family from approximately 2070 BCE to about 1600 BCE. We have no surviving written records for the Xia, although they probably did have a writing system.
Which dynasty was the capital of China?
Today, it has become a general consensus in the academic circles that the Erlitou site is the earliest dynasty in China—the capital remains in the middle and late Xia Dynasty.
Which dynasty was the first to be recorded in Chinese documents?
The Xia Dynasty is the earliest dynasty recorded in ancient Chinese documents, but this long-lasting national memory has become slightly blurred due to the passage of time.
When did Xu Xusheng go to Henan?
In order to confirm the existence of the Xia Dynasty and prevent China’s thousands of years of history from becoming "water without a source and wood without a root", in April 1959, 71-year-old historian Xu Xusheng set off from Beijing and went to Henan and Shanxi to find " Summer Market".
How long have the ruins of the capital city been sleeping?
With the advancement of archaeological excavations, the ruins of the capital city that has been sleeping for more than 3,000 years have brought endless surprises to the outside world and become a "wordless book" to uncover ancient civilizations.
Who said archaeology is more interesting to the outside world, but this work needs to settle down?
Zhao Haitao said frankly: “Archaeology is more interesting to the outside world, but this work needs to settle down.” It is the persistence of generations of archaeologists that have allowed the world to witness the mysterious face of “the earliest dynasty of China”.
Is the dragon's body green?
The dragon's body is curving, and its nose and eyes are vivid and vivid. After thousands of years, it is still green as a wash.
What was the first dynasty in China?
The Xia dynasty was the first of China’s dynasties. According to mythology, it happened to the period of the “Three Augustos and the Five Emperors”. The Xia ruled from about 2,100 B.C. to about 1766 B.C. The history of the Xia dynasty mixes between reality and myth, with historians considering it real while others think it was nothing more ...
Where did the Xia Dynasty rule?
Location of the Xia Dynasty of China. The Xia ruled the current provinces of Shanxi and Henan. The domination of the lower basin of the Yellow River allowed them to rapidly increase their population and dominate dozens of different surrounding villages, both culturally and militarily.
What dynasty is Ningxia in?
Currently the province of Ningxia shares the character with the Xia dynasty (夏; Xià), although they have nothing to do with each other.
What river gave life to the Chinese?
The Xia clan gradually gained power over time. But every great dynasty begins with a myth, in this case that of a great flood caused by the overflow of the yellow river that gave life to the Chinese.
Why did Tai Kang's brother take away his throne?
Zhong Kang, Tai Kang’s brother, took away his throne for being a bad ruler.
Why did the tribes choose the kings of Xia?
Once the land dried up again, the tribes chose them as their king for saving them from disaster, thus becoming the first King of the Xia.
Who wrote the Xia Dynasty?
The only ancient written accounts of the Xia dynasty were those of the Chinese historian Sima Qian, and the Annals of Bamboo.
Overview
Late Shang at Anyang
The oldest extant direct records date from approximately 1250 BC at Anyang, covering the reigns of the last nine Shang kings. The Shang had a fully developed system of writing, preserved on bronze inscriptions and a small number of other writings on pottery, jade and other stones, horn, etc., but most prolifically on oracle bones. The complexity and sophistication of this writing sy…
Traditional accounts
Many events concerning the Shang dynasty are mentioned in various Chinese classics, including the Book of Documents, the Mencius and the Zuo Zhuan. Working from all the available documents, the Han dynasty historian Sima Qian assembled a sequential account of the Shang dynasty as part of his Records of the Grand Historian. His history describes some events in detail, while in other cases only the name of a king is given. A closely related, but slightly different, account is given b…
Early Bronze Age archaeology
Before the 20th century, the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) was the earliest Chinese dynasty that could be verified from its own records. However, during the Song dynasty (960–1279 AD), antiquarians collected bronze ritual vessels attributed to the Shang era, some of which bore inscriptions.
In 1899, several scholars noticed that Chinese pharmacists were selling "drag…
Absolute chronology
The earliest securely dated event in Chinese history is the start of the Gonghe Regency in 841 BC, early in the Zhou dynasty, a date first established by the Han dynasty historian Sima Qian. Attempts to establish earlier dates have been plagued by doubts about the origin and transmission of traditional texts and the difficulties in their interpretation. More recent attempts have compared the traditional histories with archaeological and astronomical data. At least 44 dates for the end of th…
Kings
The earliest records are the oracle bones inscribed during the reigns of the Shang kings from Wu Ding. The oracle bones do not contain king lists, but they do record the sacrifices to previous kings and the ancestors of the current king, which follow a standard schedule that scholars have reconstructed. From this evidence, scholars have assembled the implied king list and genealogy, findin…
See also
• Chinese sovereign
• Historical capitals of China
• Women in ancient and imperial China
Further reading
• , translated by Allen, Herbert J., "Ssŭma Ch'ien's Historical Records, Chapter III – The Yin Dynasty", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 27 (3): 601–615, 1895, doi:10.1017/S0035869X00145083.
• Chang, Kwang-Chih (1980), Shang Civilization, Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-02885-7.
Shang Population
Start of The Shang Dynasty
- Tang the Great defeated the last, evil king of the Xia Dynasty, sending him into exile. The Shang changed their capital numerous times because of environmental problems, hostile neighbors, or because they were a semi-nomadic people used to moving.
Shang Dynasty Kings
- Da Yi (Tang the Great)
- Tai Ding
- Wai Bing
- Zhong Ren
Shang Accomplishments
- Earliest glazed pottery, evidence of a potter's wheel, industrialized bronze casting used for rituals, wine, and food, as well as weapons and tools, advanced jade carving, determined the year was 365 1/4 days, made reports on diseases, first appearance of Chinese script, oracle bones, Steppe-like war chariots. Remains have been found of palace foundations, burials, and ramme…
Fall of The Shang Dynasty
- The cycle of the founding of a dynasty by a great king and ending a dynasty with the ousting of an evil king continued with the Shang Dynasty. The final, tyrannical king of the Shang is commonly called King Zhou. He killed his own son, tortured and murdered his ministers and was overly influenced by his concubine. The Zhou army defeated the last king of the Shang, whom they call…
Sources
- "The Shang-Yin Dynasty and the An-Yang Finds" W. Perceval Yetts The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and IrelandNo. 3 (Jul., 1933), pp. 657-685
- "Urbanism and the King in Ancient China" K. C. Chang World ArchaeologyVol. 6, No. 1, Political Systems (Jun., 1974), pp. 1-14
- China. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from Encyclopædia Br…
- "The Shang-Yin Dynasty and the An-Yang Finds" W. Perceval Yetts The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and IrelandNo. 3 (Jul., 1933), pp. 657-685
- "Urbanism and the King in Ancient China" K. C. Chang World ArchaeologyVol. 6, No. 1, Political Systems (Jun., 1974), pp. 1-14
- China. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-71625.
- "Shang Divination and Metaphysics," by David N. Keightley. Philosophy East and West, Vol. 38, No. 4 (Oct., 1988), pp. 367-397.
