32 replies to this topic

[Chinaconqueror]

Can someone tell me more about Shang dynasty? When was it founded and what was it famous for?

[chinaking]

The Shang (1600 to 1200 BC) is the earliest Chinese dynasty for which we have written evidence. Shang civilization was a series of towns united under the Shang king.

The center of the Shang domain was found in the eastern and northeastern regions of Henan. The king's residence was in the center of the city. It was built on a north-south axis. All buildings in the city were rectangular and were made of mud with wooden beams. In addition to the king, the nobility lived within the city. They also lived in houses of mud.

The peasants often lived outside of the city, although there were a few within the walls of the city. Those within the city lived in pits and cellars. The common folk outside the city lived in villages. Not much is known about the villages except that they did exist. It is thought that they harvested millet, barley, and perhaps rice. They used tools made of wood to work the land. The peasants operated on a "well-field" system. The land was divided into nine squares. The peasant would keep the products of eight squares, while the lord would take the products of the ninth square. It is believed that these people were very primitive in comparison to the people of the city.

The cities around the capital were called palace-cities. Each city was surrounded by a wall. Within the walls were the military and religious centers as well as the nobility residences. Every palace-city was a copy of the capital city. The buildings were identical and arranged in the same format. The capital of the Shang moved seven times before finally settling in Yin which became the permanent capital.

The nobility spent much of their time hunting or in warfare. Game and captives were treated equally by nobility: they were sacrificed to the gods. Most warfare was directed against rebel cities or Barbarians. Warfare was more like a raid than anything else. Precious metals, food, and livestock, as well as people were taken from the place of warfare. The noble class was the core of the army. Other spots were filled in by slaves (captives).

The Shang held their royal ancestors in high regard. Bronze was found in royal tombs as well as the skeletons of about three hundred servants who were to accompany the king to the heavenly world. Funery tablets were kept in the front of temples and all rituals were carried out in their presence. These tablets were thought to contain the souls of the ancestors. Every royal event was announced aloud in the temples to inform the ancestors. In addition, the diviners often consulted the ancestors by offering sacrifices and reading the cracks of burnt bones.

[General_Zhaoyun]

The Shang were famous for their bronze casting of "Ding" (pottery)...and lots of bronze artefacts.

[Shadowfax]

Shang Dynasty is also called the "Yin" dynasty because one of its capitals was in Yin yi. Shang is also famous for carving characters on animal shells.

[General_Zhaoyun]

Shang Dynasty is also called the "Yin" dynasty because one of its capitals was in Yin yi. Shang is also famous for carving characters on animal shells.

That's the oracle inscription.. and currently, the 'earliest' chinese writing dated from the Shang period.

[RollingWave]

Shang is acturally quiet different from what we precieve as China today... which would start to come in form a lot more during it's successor Zhou's time....

From what we know the Shang people are highly errr i'm forgettign the english word here 迷信, they were zealous in the belive of ghosts and relied greatly on prophits and oracles.... the practice of burying people alive with the dead is also at it's hight during this tiem (and continued on to early Han acturally but was in ever decline after Shang)

Shang was also a fedualistic society but the rules weren't as prefected as the western Zhou era.

[Kulong]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet but people of Shang were known to be great at doing business. This is how the term "shangren" (businessperson) came about.

[Koolasuchus]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet but people of Shang were known to be great at doing business.  This is how the term "shangren" (businessperson) came about.

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Shang king's succession is also quite odd. When the old king dies it is his eldest sibling who will take over the throne. Both Xia and Zhou dynasty have the eldest son of the king to succed him, and Shang seems to be the odd man out.

[Sephodwyrm]

I think the Shang dynasty is also famous for the practice of using humans as offering to heavens. Human sacrifices are common in the Shang era, and slaves were sometimes sacrificed in hundreds. There are several ways of sacrificing them, either by decapitation, burying them alive, burning them or drowning them (so that they join faster with the elemental who would be the acceptor of the sacrifices?). For example, if they are sacrificing the slaves to the earth gods they would bury the slaves alive.

The Shang dynasty is a slave society. The earlier graves of Shang kings were more modest. But as the dynasty progresses, graves got larger and more slaves were buried with them. By the late period, even high ranking nobles and slave owners have slaves buried with them (not just the kings anymore). It is this great oppression which might explain the reason of its collapse.

[Kulong]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe 酒肉林 Jiuroulin (Wine-meat Forrest) was also started during Shang dynasty. It's essentially a garden with ponds filled with wine, food (namely meat) tied to the trees and naked men and women "partying".

[Liang Jieming]

Shang Dynasty is also called the "Yin" dynasty because one of its capitals was in Yin yi. Shang is also famous for carving characters on animal shells.

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Actually the Shang dynasty is officially divided into two parts. The period from the 1600-1300 B.C. they are known as the Shang (Prophase). Then in ca. 1300 B.C. the Shang capital was moved and established at Yin. The Shang from 1300-1046 B.C. is known as the Shang (Anaphase) or Yin dynasty.

Chronology of Chinese History and Culture - 7000 B.C. to A.D. 2004


Jieming

[TMPikachu]

human sacrifices, and their artistic style (on their bronze and jades). There's an eerie similiarity between Shang and South American cultures, like the Mayan.
Was it Shang who had a sun diety? So did the Aztecs :0!

shang bronze

http://images.google.../Ouro/Aztec.gif

well, that one's aztec




Zhou dynasty dragon (same artistic style as Shang)

Mayan dragon

[Koolasuchus]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe 酒肉林 Jiuroulin (Wine-meat Forrest) was also started during Shang dynasty.  It's essentially a garden with ponds filled with wine, food (namely meat) tied to the trees and naked men and women "partying".

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That was the invention of Xia Jie, the genius last king of Xia.

The invention of Shang Zhou is the title Tian Zi or Son of Heaven, which he granted to himself.

[Dirt]

That was the invention of Xia Jie, the genius last king of Xia. 

The invention of Shang Zhou is the title Tian Zi or Son of Heaven, which he granted to himself. 

I've read that Shang was a bronze culture but Zhou was actually a stone age culture.

[lobster]

The peasants operated on a "well-field" system. The land was divided into nine squares. The peasant would keep the products of eight squares, while the lord would take the products of the ninth square.

No. The Jengtian 井田 (well-field) system was introduced by Zhou. Not Shang.

About the Wine-meat Forest thing. I think it's only a confusian propaganda. It showed up in the Xia Jie and Shang Zhou stories. They may be sh!t kings, but these stories seem quite imaginary to me.

Also in some confusian texts it was said that Xia Jie could make an iron hook straight with bare hands. Iron working wasn't discovered until late Warring States.

Propaganda sucks doesn it?