The Shang Dynasty

Map

Territories ruled under the Shang Dynasty














Technology & Economy

Below: Chinese Symbols craved onto a oracle bone

In Shang Dynasty, the Chinese Pharmacists sell oracle bones also known as the dragon bones. The most important technology development was the invention of writing. It is the first dynasty that has a first group of people in China had the written records, which plays a big role of written communication. The most common writings are found on the oracle bone and are bones originally from the animals and turtle shells. Writings are also found on bronze, stones, and silk. Shang people had their extraordinary skills on the bronze making.

The agriculture primarily produced millet and wheat, whereas stone ploughs, spades and sickles were widely used. The Shang Dynasty is the major manufacture of the bronze vessels, which leads succeed toward its politics, economy, culture, and art.

Handcrafts displayed a great development in the art department too. Shang craftsmen were skillful in carving jade and stones for decorations in the palace. Shang textile workers also invented the simple jacquard room that produces high quality of silk fabrics. Last but not least, Shang Dynasty also made a important development in the medicine, transportation and astronomy categories.

Social Changes

Below: Jades

Shang Dynasty was the first empire to unite a big part of China under one king. People started to divided up into a gap between rich and poor. Slaves were control under the Shang Dynasty and most of men are the king’s armies. The Shang people build underground tiny houses. People pay part of their harvest money to the king, and sometimes residents were forced to the military to build the palace. Nobles in the palace usually had more then one wife. For the common residents, man only has one wife and the wife usually works in the farm beside their man. People the also began to use horse-drawn chariots and also began to put jades on themselves for decoration.

Government
Shang Dynasty is the second monarchy state of government of the Chinese History. Shang Tang established the Shang Dynasty had successfully treated his people and nobles with benevolence with virtuous ministers. Shang Tang had made the dynasty with great improvement of economy during his ruled under the Shang Dynasty. Due to the political chaos and struggles for power, wars were continuously that leads the Shang state had its capital moved for five times, until King Pangeng, the seventeen king of the Shang Dynasty reestablished the capital at Yin. Yin then became a stable capital that did not change in the remainder of the Shang Dynasty. Shang Dynasty is also known as the “Yin-Shang Dynasty.”

Religion & Philosophy
According to the Chinese legend, the Shang ancestors were born from a phoenix sent from the heaven.

Shang Ti is a god highly respected that ruled as in a supreme position in Shang Dynasty. He ruled the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, and the other natural resources. He was highly recognized and was a major part of the Shang religion. The major part of the Shang religion was the scarification to the gods and ancestors. As a king died, hundreds of prisoners and slaves sacrifice to be buried alive with the king to worship the god and the ancestors.

Below: Slaves and Armies will be bury alive with the king's corpse

Leaders & Contemporaries

Shang Tang is the founder of Shang dynasty. He had spent years fighting against wars. Tang was a generous ruler and think of the goods for the people. He have full benevolence for the animals too, and was a model example of a good virtuous ruler.

Below: Shang Tang

Wuding is the Shang ruler after King Pangeng. Wuding the nephew of Pangeng was a kind generous king that made the kingdom stronger. Under his rule, the empire of Shang had made great succeeds in its economy leaves a groundwork for the following dynasties to make more improvements.

Below: Wuding

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By the 1000 BC, the Hebrews has set up th kingdom of Israel. King David and Solomon were the most skillful rulers. King David defeated the Philistine warrior at Goliath, that later became strong and united the Hebrew tribes into one nation.

Below: King DavidSolomon was King David's son who became a Jerusalem. He built temples to worship the god and a huge delicate palace for himself. King Solomon tried to increase Israel's influence by deliberating with the powerful Egypt and Mesopotamia empires.

Below: King Solomon

Other
Timeline
1766 BC Shang Dynasty began, period of bronze containers, oracle bines, human sacrifice.
1600 BC Jade represent the oldest art of the Chinese
1384 BC A mature culture with writing and art was developed
1300 BC China introduced books
1027 BC The last Shang ruler, Chou Hsin was overthrown by Wu-Wang.
Chou Dynasty began.

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A system of writing was developed in the Shang dynasty containing over 3,000 symbols. The language lasts for 3500 years until today. The character consist two parts. One part tells the pronunciation and the other tells its meaning. Characters are written horizontally.

Main Points
The Shang Dynasty rules a huge piece of territory located in the east of China. The written communication were known in the craving of the oracle bones. Agriculture and bronze were the major production of economy and art in China. Shang people used horse drawn chariots as in transportations. Slaves and armies are buried alive with the king’s corpse to worship the god and the ancestors. The first benevolence leader, Shang Tang established the Shang Dynasty as a dynasty growth of economic.


Bibliography

"Shang Dynasty ." Dynasties of Ancient China. 3 Feb 2007. <http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/ancient_china/shang.html>.

"Shang Dynasty ." 26 Dec 2006. TravelChinaGuide.com . 3 Feb 2007. <http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/shang/>.

Carr , Karen . "Shang Dynasty China." Kidipede-History for Kids . 10 Nov 2006. Associate Professor of History, Postland State University . 3 Feb 2007. <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/history/shang.htm>.

"Timeline China thru 1924." Chinese Business Strategy . 4 Feb 2007. <http://timelines.ws/countries/CHINA.HTML>.

"Map of Ancient China ." China Highlights . 4 Feb 2007. <http://www.chinahighlights.com/map/map_ancient_china.htm>.