“Shang Dynasty’’

G1004

~(˘▾˘~)
Origins
● According to legend, the Shang Dynasty was founded when King Cheng
Tang overthrew the Xia Dynasty's tyrannical king. Although legend alludes
to a previous dynasty, no archaeological or written evidence supports the
existence of the Xia at this time. Most historians, therefore, choose to
begin the story of Chinese history with the Shang Dynasty, which
developed along the Huang He River's fertile banks.
Political Order
● Shang kings relied on the loyalty of their most important aristocratic
families
● They spent much of their time traveling to the courts of these supporters
to ensure their continued support.
● Most of the aristocrats in Shang times were strong warriors whose
conquests provided revenue to support their courts.
Notable Rulers
two kings in addition to Cheng Tang are directly mentioned.

● Pang Geng, is most noted for having built one of the many political
capitals.
● Yin, the city was home to bronze working foundries and a large urban
center.
● Wu Ding reigned for 58 years.
● He is one of the only kings whose reign is substantiated through
archaeological remains.
● However, no written examples of law have been found.
Decline and Fall
● The Shang had ruled China for nearly 600 years and their dynasty had
become weak.
● A new dynasty, the Zhou, marched to the capital and seized power from
the Shang.
● In the subsequent years, the Zhou would develop a concept known as the
Mandate of Heaven.
● If you want to know more to know about the Mandate of Heaven, then go
ask Pooh’s group not us.
Shang Art
● Use of bronze
● Bronze statues, ornaments and vessels
● Geometrical designs and pictures of demons, plants, animals and humans
Religion
● The Shang believed in the afterlife, and that family was important. These
are two facts that can be supported by the Shang religion, which is
focused on ancestor worship. The Shang believed in the afterlife, and that
family was important. The Shang believed their dead ancestors held
powers in the afterlife that could either help them succeed or cause them
to fail.
Culture
● The people of the Shang dynasty were organized into a social class
pyramid that had the king and ruling family on the top; followed by
landowning nobles; then craftsmen and merchants. Below them were the
peasants, and at the very bottom were the slaves.
● The Shang were excellent warriors, which was important since the ruling
class always had them at war with other clans. Eventually, the fighting and
lavish spending of the elite would weaken the economy and military
power of the Shang enough to cause their downfall. Before that occurred,
however, the Shang developed a society focused on family, skilled in
bronze working, and united by a written language.
Written Language
● The carved messages on the oracle bones are the earliest known
examples of Chinese writing found to date. Instead of just using
pictographs that are images representing an object, Shang writing used
logographs, or characters that stand for words. This is similar to modern
Chinese writing.
● While the spoken language of people in the Shang dynasty may have
been different from place to place, the written language stayed the same.
This was a unifying factor for the people. However, it was only the people
of the upper classes that used it.Q
“Xiè Xiè”