Shang Dynasty

The Shang dynasty was in place from about 1700 to 1070 B.C.E. Since the last ruler of the Xia dynasty, Jie, was overthrown for ruling selfishly, the first ruler of the Shang, Tang, tried his best to rule fairly. Tang chose wisely who he appointed to help him, which came particularly useful in building the strength of the economy. Because of several wars with surrounding states, the capitol was eventually moved to Yin (now the Henan province) where it became more stable and prosperous. Thus, the Shang dynasty is also known as the Yin dynasty.

Generally the emperor and nobility lived within the capital city, while peasants lived in surrounding villages. Peasants were usually farmers who produced rice, barley, and millet. Peasants divided their farms into nine squares, of which one was given to the emperor as some form of tax. The capital city as well as surrounding cities were each enclosed in a wall, where within was contained separate militant and religious centers.

Map from http://bethany.mca.org.tw/secondary/g7/dynasty-project/Shang/Shang.htm

There are several key inventions and ideas that came about during the Shang dynasty:

The first Chinese writing system was used in recordings of the Oracle script. The Oracle script recorded any important achievements onto the surface of a turtle shell. Any natural occurring event was assumed to be the word of a divine force, and therefore all droughts, floods, storms, etc. were recorded. The turtle shell would form cracks which would be interpreted as either a good or bad omen by a diviner. The findings were then also recorded on other turtle shells or bones. Over four thousand different characters have been found on the various tortoise shells, and over 100,000 shells and bones with these recordings have been found. It is believed that the Oracle script was used more after the move to Yin, as most remains were found in the Henan province.

The Chinese first used metallurgy during this dynasty as cooking tins, containers for alcohol, and weaponry. The most important metallurgy accomplishments were achieved when, under the reign of King Wuding, when the alloy of copper, lead, and tin was discovered. The most famous bronze ware created during the Shang dynasty was the Simuwu Quadripod, the largest known bronze ware in the world. When the southern regions became separated from the Shang dynasty, after Shang had moved its capital to Henan, bronze ware was more decorative, as sculptures of elephants and tigers were commonly found. Bronze ware was considered throughout the Shang dynasty as a symbol of the elitist and of the ruler and was usually used at banquets and religious ceremonies. Many excavated tombs dating from the Shang period contain several elaborate and unique pieces of bronze ware.

Picture of a bronze vessel created during the Shang dynasty.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/shang/

	During the Shang dynasty, rulers were believed to have power because of some divine intent. Because the King was considered divine, he was given complete control without question from his people. Also, due to the king' s overwhelming power, he was given many slaves to aid him. Not only was this the beginning of slavery in China, but it was also the beginning of extensive burial practices. Often times kings were buried with slaves (who were sometimes alive) and beloved artifacts to make their time in the afterlife easier.
	Farming implements also made huge improvements during the Shang dynasty, as stone ploughs, spades, and sickles were used.
	The a simple version of the jaquard loom, used to create silk fabrics, was invented during the Shang dynasty.