Dynasties of ChinaShang dynastyShang dynasty lineage
Reign —
Taking Bo as the capital, he appointed Yi Yin to cut off the wings of Xia, and Ming Tiao defeated Xia's builders in a battle, creating a Shang dynasty that lasted for more than 500 years.
Tang is the son of Zhugui, with his surname and given name Lu. There were fourteen generations from Qi, the founder of the Shang clan, to Tang. The "Historical Records" states that "from Qi to Tang, there were eight moves". After Tang ascended the throne, he resettled in Bo. He appointed Yi Yin, who was from a humble background, as his prime minister, and Zhong Hui as his left prime minister, to cultivate virtue and govern the people. According to legend, when he was out hunting, he saw people setting up nets on all sides and ordered them to be removed from three sides. The princes heard about this and praised him, "Tang is so virtuous, even the beasts."
Tang began by conquering Ge Bo, who did not worship his ancestors. "In eleven expeditions, he was invincible in the world." Xia Jie once imprisoned him in Xiatai and later released him. After Tang returned to China, he exterminated Xia's allies Wei, Gu, and Kunwu. About 1600 BC, he defeated Xia Jie in Mingtiao, exiled him, and established the Shang dynasty. Later generations referred to Tang's destruction of Xia and King Wu's defeat of Zhou as the "Tang-Wu Revolution".
After Tang came to the throne, he corrected Shuo, changed his color, advocated white, and wrote "Tang Gao" to warn the princes. According to legend, after years of severe drought after the end of the Xia Dynasty, he personally prayed for rain in the mulberry forest and sacrificed himself. When Tang died, Crown Prince Tai Ding had already passed away, and the throne was passed to Tai Ding's younger brother Wai Bing. In the oracle bone inscriptions, the soup is called "Dayi", also known as "Tang". It is one of the most solemn sacrifices to the ancestors by merchants.
Shang Tang is a holy king respected by Confucianism. With the limited power of the country, he replaced Xia Dynasty by winning over the princes, cutting off his wings, and winning a decisive battle, setting a precedent of using force to conquer the world and proving himself with destiny. The concept of destiny in "The Oath of Tang" was later inherited and developed by the Zhou people. Since no writing was left in the early Shang Dynasty, stories such as opening three sides of the net and praying for rain in the mulberry forest are mostly moralized narratives from later generations. However, archaeological discoveries in Zhengzhou and Yanshi Shangcheng have confirmed the scale and strength of the dynasty in the early Shang Dynasty.
PoliticsFirst residence in Bo
The merchant "moved to Tang eight times from his deed". After Tang ascended the throne, he moved back to Bo, the former king's former residence. There have been divergent opinions on the location of Bo since ancient times. Today, academic circles mostly refer to Zhengzhou Shang City or Yanshi Shang City in Henan Province.
PeopleYi Yin Guitang
According to legend, Yi Yin was originally a dowry official of a daughter of the Xin family. He carried a tripod behind his back and lectured Tang on how to cook and govern the country.
CultureOpen the net on three sides
When Tang saw someone in the wild setting up nets on all sides, praying, "Everyone from all over the world will enter my net," he ordered them to remove three nets and prayed instead, "If you want to go left, go left; if you want right, go right; if you don't want to die, they will enter my net." When the princes heard about it, they praised Tang's virtue for being better than the beasts.
Lasting legacyThe idiom "open the net" evolved from this story and is still used as a metaphor for leniency.
MilitaryBegin the expedition against Ge Bo
The neighboring country Gebo did not offer sacrifices to his ancestors, so Tang sent cattle and sheep, and sent Bo people to farm for him, but Gebo killed the boy who brought the food. Tang used this as an excuse to send troops to destroy Kudzu. "Mencius" said that Tang "conquered eleven battles and became invincible in the world."
PeopleZhong Hui is the left prime minister
Zhong Hui is a descendant of Zhong Zhong, Che Zhengxi of the Xia Dynasty. He lived in Xue and served as Tang's left prime minister, assisting the government together with Yi Yin. There is "Zhong Hui's Edict" in Shangshu, but the current version is a forgery for posterity.
PoliticsImprisoned in Xiatai
Tang's growing power aroused Xia Jie's suspicion. Jie summoned Tang to the court and imprisoned him in Xiatai. Soon Tang was released and returned to his country. After that, he stepped up his efforts to accumulate strength, and the princes joined him one after another.
PeopleYi Yin is in the summer
"Sun Tzu's Art of War·Yongjian" said that "Yin was prosperous, and Yizhi was in Xia." According to legend, Yi Yin once went to the Xia capital on Tang's order to observe Xia's political situation and people's sentiments, and reported back to Tang that Xia was immoral and could be punished.
MilitaryCut off Wei Gukunwu
Tang successively attacked Xia's allies Wei, Gu and Kunwu, eliminating Xia's eastern wings. "The Book of Songs·Shang Song·Changfa" praises that "Wei and Gu have cut down, and Kunwu has conquered."
CultureCompose "Soup Oath"
Before sending troops to attack Jie, Master Tang declared that "Xia has committed many crimes and is destined to be punished by fate." He expressed that he did not dare to disobey the destiny. This oath is the "Shang Shu·Tang Oath", which uses "the destiny of heaven" as the basis for the crusade.
MilitaryBattle of Mingtiao
According to "Lu's Spring and Autumn period", Tang led 70 good chariots and 6,000 men who dared to die to attack Xia. They fought a decisive battle with the Xia army at Mingtiao. The Xia army was defeated and Jie fled. Tang took advantage of the victory to attack and destroy Sanfu and captured his precious jade.
PoliticsThat is the throne of emperor
Tang exiled Xia Jie, returned to Bodu, and wrote "Tang Gao" to warn the princes to serve the people, and "correct Shuo, Yifu Se, Shangbai" to show that he was ordered to change the system, and Shang Dynasty was established.
Lasting legacyThe word "revolution" in Chinese today originates from "The Revolution of Tang and Wu" in the "Book of Changes", which follows the heavens and responds to people. In modern times, it was borrowed to translate the Spanish word "revolution".
SocietyPraying for rain in mulberry forest
According to "Lu's Spring and Autumn Period", after Tang destroyed Xia, there was a severe drought and there was no harvest for five years. Tang personally prayed in the mulberry forest, cut his hair and polished his hands, sacrificed himself, and prayed that "one person is guilty, but no one is as guilty as ten thousand people." Then it rained heavily.
EconomyZhengzhou Mall
Zhengzhou Mall was built in the early Shang Dynasty. The city wall is nearly 7 kilometers in circumference. There are large palace foundations inside the city, and there are handicraft workshops such as copper casting, pottery making, and bone making outside the city. One said it was Bo where Tang was the capital, the other said it was Xian where Zhong Ding moved.
Lasting legacyMany sections of rammed-earth city walls from the Shang Dynasty have been preserved in the urban area of Zhengzhou. In 2004, Zhengzhou was recognized as one of the eight ancient capitals in China by the Chinese Ancient Capitals Society because of its commercial city ruins.
PoliticsYanshi Mall
The early Shang Dynasty city site discovered in Yanshi, Henan in 1983 is only about 6 kilometers away from the Erlitou site. The date of its founding is close to the Xia and Shang replacements. Many scholars believe that it was a city built near the Xia capital after the Tang Dynasty destroyed the Xia Dynasty, and it can be used as an archaeological mark of the boundary between the Xia and Shang Dynasties.
CulturePan Ming Ri Xin
According to the "Book of Rites·University", the soup was inscribed on the bathing plate with the words "gou ri xin, dai dai xin, dai xin ni", using the metaphor of washing away the dirt on the body to innovate oneself and cultivate virtue every day.
PoliticsTang collapse
When Tang died, Crown Prince Tai Ding had died first, and the throne was inherited by Tai Ding's younger brother Wai Bing. In the inscriptions, Tang is called "Dayi" or "Tang", and he was solemnly worshiped together with Shangjia and other ancestors.
His name is Zhi. According to legend, he was originally a dowry minister of the You Xin family and was promoted to prime minister by Tang Dynasty. He assisted Tang to destroy Xia. After Tang's death, he went through the affairs of Wei Bing, Zhong Ren, and Tai Jia. He was the leader of the political situation in the early Shang Dynasty.
A descendant of Xi Zhong lived in Xue and served as Tang's left prime minister. Together with Yi Yin, he assisted Tang in destroying Xia and establishing Shang.
The name is Lugui. He once imprisoned Tang in Xiatai and released him. He was defeated by Tang in the Battle of Mingtiao and died in exile. Xia Dynasty was destroyed.
Tang's eldest son, who was established as Crown Prince, died before taking the throne. His son Tai Jia later succeeded to the throne. In the inscriptions, he was called "Dading" and he was sacrificed together with the previous king.
It is said that Tang wanted to give up the world to him after destroying Xia. Wu Guang thought it was unjust to accept this, so he drowned himself in the water. This incident is found in "Zhuangzi" and is mostly a fable, reflecting people's imagination of abdication during the Warring States period.