Shang Dynasty
(Yin Dynasty)
The Shang is the second dynasty of China; on the other hand it is the first dynasty that has a written record. At first the dynasty could be known and considered as a legend but in Shang dynasty the bones were discovered. Therefore people started to use bones to tell the story. The Shang dynasty could be called as the Yin dynasty. It was ruled in the northeastern known as China Proper. The symbol of this dynasty is Bronze.
Dates of power
The Shang dynasty started from, approximately, 1600 BC – 1046 BC. It was established by King Tang, after he overthrown the Xia dynasty.
Reason for take-over
Jie, the last Xia ruler, thrown was taken by Tang. Because after he owned the thrown, he lived with an extravagant life, he did not even think about his country or his people. Furthermore, he killed the good ministers even they suggested him the good advice. All of his actions encouraged people to be his opponents. At last, they rose up and became Tang’s people. Finally Jia was overthrown which brought the ended of Xia Dynasty.
Leaders of the civilization
During the Shang dynasty, it was ruled by 30 different emperors with 17 generations.
King Tang
**Tang was one of the most important rulers. He was fighting with the Emperor Jie before he overthrown the Xia Dynasty. When he became a king, the dynasty became more civilized. He was found to be a good ruler. He always worried about his people and animals. Tang has been considered as a model ruler which he had full of benevolence. However he only ruled the dynasty only about 17 years and then it was the time of his next generations.
King Wuding
**Wu Ding, the 22nd emperor of the Shang dynasty was another significant ruler. He knew about the sufferings and hardships of common people because he grew up in the country. After Wu Ding ascending to the throne, he considered about the prevention and ended the war that they wanted to occupy between each nomadic. During Wu ding’s ruled, the territory expanded. It extended to the north, Liaoning Province. Other than that, it covered Hubai Province in the south and got to the west, the Shaanxi Province, and included area on the sea in the west. Wu Ding ruled the country for 59 years.
Other leader from outside China during the same period
(Yin Dynasty)
The Shang is the second dynasty of China; on the other hand it is the first dynasty that has a written record. At first the dynasty could be known and considered as a legend but in Shang dynasty the bones were discovered. Therefore people started to use bones to tell the story. The Shang dynasty could be called as the Yin dynasty. It was ruled in the northeastern known as China Proper. The symbol of this dynasty is Bronze.
Dates of power
The Shang dynasty started from, approximately, 1600 BC – 1046 BC. It was established by King Tang, after he overthrown the Xia dynasty.
Reason for take-over
Jie, the last Xia ruler, thrown was taken by Tang. Because after he owned the thrown, he lived with an extravagant life, he did not even think about his country or his people. Furthermore, he killed the good ministers even they suggested him the good advice. All of his actions encouraged people to be his opponents. At last, they rose up and became Tang’s people. Finally Jia was overthrown which brought the ended of Xia Dynasty.
Leaders of the civilization
During the Shang dynasty, it was ruled by 30 different emperors with 17 generations.
King Tang
**Tang was one of the most important rulers. He was fighting with the Emperor Jie before he overthrown the Xia Dynasty. When he became a king, the dynasty became more civilized. He was found to be a good ruler. He always worried about his people and animals. Tang has been considered as a model ruler which he had full of benevolence. However he only ruled the dynasty only about 17 years and then it was the time of his next generations.
King Wuding
**Wu Ding, the 22nd emperor of the Shang dynasty was another significant ruler. He knew about the sufferings and hardships of common people because he grew up in the country. After Wu Ding ascending to the throne, he considered about the prevention and ended the war that they wanted to occupy between each nomadic. During Wu ding’s ruled, the territory expanded. It extended to the north, Liaoning Province. Other than that, it covered Hubai Province in the south and got to the west, the Shaanxi Province, and included area on the sea in the west. Wu Ding ruled the country for 59 years.
Other leader from outside China during the same period
King Henry II had ruled the Germany from 1039-1056. He created the bishop of Rome because, what they said, King Henry is trying to bring the papacy back. Also the bishop of Rome was reign in absence. Furthermore it was described from hell in the disguise of a priest. Finally King Henry established himself as a person who takes the lead in assigned the future bishops of Rome.
Accomplishments
- Economy
The main incomes that increase the economy are from harvesting and agricultural work. Usually the people who are doing these works are the serfs and slaves of the land. To increase the economy farmers who are able to cultivate the silk worm are assigned to weave its colors to make beautiful clothing. Silk then became the next main export of China. Finally the last reason the China’s economy increase rapidly was because of its artisans who gradually made weapons, jewelry etc. Also the silk became the major export of China.
- Political
The main political power all remained in the hands of the king or also known as “Wang”. He was both a powerful political leader and a religious leader. The work life of the peasants were decided by the king the aristocrats and the bureaucrats.
- Social Structure
The kings would be up top with the most power, along with his nobles. The warriors also have power but it wouldn’t match up to the king and his nobles. Finally the peasants, these people farm and harvest for a living so they can barely make it through the taxes that the officials want from them.
- Religious Beliefs
In this society, worshipping the gods is an absolute must. Sacrifices were expected made to the gods and the ancestors. Shang Ti was believed to be the leader of the gods and the person who actually rules all the gods.
- Cultural Achievements
The Shang developed a form of writing which is very sophisticated. Agriculture in this time was very good and the workers were excellent bronze workers. The Shang was the first people who were able to use a calendar. The most important achievement is the decimal system that they have created, without it we wouldn’t have the math we have now.
- Technology
Chinese calendar is one of the most important technology. It was created during Shang dynasty. The calendar included two different cycles. First cycle contained ten Celestial Stems and the other contained twelve of them. To count the days, they used two characters from each cycles and combined them. The result would be 60 days, and then we divided in 2 months and six ten-day weeks.
- Art
Shang dynasty could be called Bronze age. Every tools and objects mostly made by Bronze, such as kitchen utensil and music instruments. The decoration started with thin line. following with thick and thin lines with some patterns on it. Later on, when the decoration much improved, people started to design the objects and made them look like animal faces.
Yin-Yang also one of the arts that created during Shang Dynasty, both of them represented as
black and white. The white one, Yang, represented men which mean that they are active, strong, and dry. And the other one, Yin, represented women. It shows that women are weak, passive, and wet. Yin-Yang definition is based on the Chinese believed.- Philosophy
During the Shang Dynasty, the philosophy was based on a cyclic notion of time, seasons, and corresponding. The concept was called Lord on High. Somehow, the philosophy of Shang was closely to the western philosophy.
Reason for fail
The end of the Shang dynasty was similar as the previous one, Xia dynasty. The king was overthrown. The last Shang emperor was King Chou. He ruled the state in the west of the Shang dynasty. Wu Ding used the slave-owning system and also he was a tyrant. Therefore the people started to resist him. His thrown was taken over by King Wen and his son, Wu. He got betrayed by his own people. During his ruled, there were many struggles from many rebellions and his thrown seemed to be taken over so many times. Later on the state, which controlled by King Wen became vassal of the Shang Empire. This time the king was not only overthrown, but he got killed. Finally King Wen got the thrown and he started the next dynasty, which is Zhou.
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