The Shang Dynasty

Dates of power
The Shang Dynasty (also called the Yin Dynasty) is estimated to have ruled from 1766-1027 B.C. (2) . Shang built their cities in northern China around the eastern parts of the Yellow River, so they are called the Yellow River civilization as well (3) .

Map of Shang Dynasty (1)

Reasons for take-over

Shang Dynasty was established by King Tang after overthrowing the dictorial rule of Jie, the last emperor of the Xia. Shang Tang spent 17 years fighting against the Emperor Jie before he overthrew the Xia Dynasty. Jie abused his power and increased oppression. He exploited the resources of the people to build palaces and pavilions for himself. People were filled with anger, and Shang Tang seized this opportunity, took a revolt and finally overthrew the Xia Dynasty and established the Shang Dynasty(4) .

Shang Tang, the first emperor of Shang Dynasty (5)


Leaders of the civilization
The Shang Dynasty lasted over 600 years and was reined by 30 different emperors. Tang, the first emperor of the period, overthrew Xia dynasty and set up the Shang Dynasty. Pan Geng, the nineteenth Shang King is popularly known for moving the capital to Yin, and the dynasty was referred to as the Yin Dynasty. Zhou was the last king of the Shang Dynasty. He is one of the cruelest Kings in the history of China who is known for the torture (6).

King Zhou of Shang (10)

A leader from another civilization
In Egypt, during the 18th Dynasty which lasted from 1540 – 1307 BC, Akhenaten reigned for few years but brought important religious reforms to the civilization. During this dynasty, Egypt was in turmoil as the Egyptian religion was changed and most temples were closed, favoring one new god, the solar-deity Aton (7) .

Statue of Akhenaten (7)

Accomplishments
Shang people had a great number of technological advances. One of the most important advancement was the invention of writing. They are the first Chinese people to have written records. The writing system contained over 3,000 symbols which were written vertically on oracle bones which usually came from cattle or animal bones, or they were written on tortoise shells, bronze wares or bamboo strips (1). The other major development was bronze making, and because of this Shang Dynasty is known as the Bronze Age. This led to the making of bronze weapons, daggers, spears, and armor. The Shang people invented the yoke, harness, and spoked wheel which led to the two-horse war chariot. They were the first to make ivory carvings, jade ornaments, and silk textiles. Shang people made advancement in math and science as well. They developed the decimal system and a 12 month calender with 365 and a quarter days. The chopstick we use today was invented during the Shang Dynasty (8).

Oracle Bobe (11)

Agriculture had great importance during Shang Dynasty. They grew wheat, barley, and millet. They also raised pigs, dogs, sheep, oxen, and silk worms (8). Fishing industry grew as people fished in the fresh waters. With the development of bronze making, artisans made pottery and bronze wares. This led to the development of handicraft industries. As the agriculture and handicraft industries grew, the commodity exchange was promoted and economy flourished during the Shang Dynasty (6).





Bronze ware of Shang Dynasty (6)


There was an important social change caused by the religion followed by Shang people. The Shang worshipped the "Shang Ti." He was a supreme god over lesser gods like the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, and other natural forces and places. Ancestor worship became a part of the Shang religion, and sacrifices to the gods and the ancestors were also a major part .When a king died, hundreds of slaves and prisoners were often sacrificed and buried with him. This was the first dynasty to have the slave-owning system and these slaves were often sacrificed. Also, the Shang had a unique form of descent. Rather than passing from father to son, the Shang form of descent passed from the eldest brother to the youngest brother (1) .

Shang Dynasty God (12)




Reasons for fall


Di Xin or Zhou, the last king of Shang, was known to be cruel and tyrant. He made up many cruel laws and means of torture, and he exploited the slaves and common people, building luxurious palaces. King Zhou started to set aside the old nobles and favored the ones he liked which caused dispute within the nobility. Taking advantage of the opportunity, King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty launched an attack and overthrew the Shang Dynasty, similar to the overthrow of Xia dynasty(9).

Zhou Wen Wang , founder of Zhou Dynasty (14)

Bibliography

1. "Shang Dynasty." Dynasties of Ancient China. 7 Jan 2008 www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/ancient_china/shang.html.
2. Dharmananda, Subhuti. "Chinese dynasties ." 7 Jan 2008 . www.itmonline.org/arts/dynasties.htm>.
3. Hooker, Richard. “ The Shang.” Ancient China. 6 Jun 1999. 7 Jan 2008 . www.wsu.edu/~dee/ANCCHINA/SHANG.HTM
4. "The Xia Dynasty ( 2070-1600 BC )." China History. chinavoc. 8 Jan 2008 . www.chinavoc.com/history/xia.htm
5. Saxer, Antoinette. "Poetry and Politics in China." 8 Jan 2008 . www.ewtodanmark.dk/magazine/no%205/Data/p09.html
6. "Shang Dynasty." Travel China Guide. 8 Jan 2008 . www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/shang/>.
7. Kinnear, Jacques. "18th Dynasty." The Ancient Egypt Site. 15 feb 1997. 8 Jan 2008 . www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html
8. "The Shang Dynasty." NetRadio . 9 Jan 2008 . members.tripod.com/~jonbyrdjonbyrd/shang.html
9. "The Shang Dynasty ( 1600-1406 BC )." China History. chinavoc. 8 Jan 2008 . www.chinavoc.com/history/shang.htm
10. Yuan, Haiwang. "Da Ji." 5 Oct 2003. 9 Jan 2008 . www.wku.edu/~yuanh/China/tales/daji_b.htm>.
11. 9 Jan 2008. www.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/uclib/bones/ob01.htm
12. 9 Jan 2008. home.insight.rr.com/chinawebquest/process.html
13. 9 Jan 2008.orbat.com/site/history/volume4/442/zhou%20dynasty/zhou%20dynasty_2.html