Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Great Shang (大商) 270 |
| Alias(es) | Yin Shang; Shang dynasty 21 151 |
| Capital | Chaoge 272 |
| Founder | Cheng Tang, who overthrew Great Xia 606 |
| Rulers | Di Xin, followed by his son Wu Geng 563 648 |
| Status | Eventually fell, despite surviving the war against Xiqi 630 678 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 5 5 |
History
Great Shang ruled for more than 580 years and passed through thirty kings by Di Xin’s reign. Its succession system combined inheritance from father to son with succession between brothers. During the Nine Generations of Chaos, successive kings refused to relinquish the throne as prescribed, provoking nearly a century of conflict within the royal clan. The crisis ended when King Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin, but the dynasty’s strength had declined and the feudal lords had grown less dependable 151.
Di Xin inherited a realm described as strong outwardly but hollow within. Suppressing Yuan Futong’s rebellion strained Shang’s forces; afterward, Di Xin killed two of the four great feudal lords, imprisoned one and won over another. East Lu and South E rebelled, but Shang lacked the troops to campaign against them while Wen Zhong’s main force was away. Later, the dynasty rebuilt its strength and prepared to confront the rebels 272.
Xiqi, East Lu and South E subsequently rallied other lords against Shang. Following the loss of a 100,000-strong Shang army, rebellion spread to more than seven hundred of the realm’s eight hundred feudal lords 291 530. Di Xin personally marched west with the Nine Cauldrons to stake control of the realm on a decisive campaign 562 563. Shang survived the conflict and defeated Xiqi, although Di Xin died in the war and hundreds of thousands of Shang soldiers were lost 625 630 648.
Government and territory
- Enfeoffment: The Shang ruler governed through layers of feudal lords. Four great lords oversaw the eastern, western, southern and northern routes, while smaller lords held their own fiefs 93 272.
- Central territory: Chaoge stood in Yu Province, which fell directly under Yin Shang’s rule. Lords governed the other eight of the Nine Provinces 272.
- Court leadership: Under Di Xin, Wen Zhong was a leading figure in civil affairs and Huang Feihu in military affairs; both were regarded as pillars of the state 163 167.
- Military ranks: Shang’s army included centurions commanding one hundred men and chiliarchs commanding one thousand 44.
Reforms under Wu Geng
After the war, Lu Chuan proposed replacing parts of Shang’s old order to restore its economy and military strength. His proposals included private ownership and sale of land, household registers, and taxes assessed by household and population. Wu Geng supported the reforms and entrusted Lu Chuan with their implementation 649 650.
The Office of Extraordinary Scholars later established a Medical Department, while iron-smelting knowledge and iron and steel tools spread more widely. After Lu Chuan left office, Wu Geng retained the reforms and followed his advice to reduce taxes and corvée so the population could recover 667 672.
Symbols and national fortune
- Mystic Bird: A black divine bird manifested Yin Shang’s national fortune above Chaoge. Shen Gongbao observed it weakened by a demonic aura early in the story; after Shang’s victory, its light flared again as national destiny returned 21 614.
- Nine Cauldrons: Forged from copper gathered across the Nine Provinces, they symbolized legitimate rule. Cheng Tang took them from Great Xia, and Di Xin brought them on his final western campaign 562.
- Later fate: Shang’s victory extended the dynasty’s life but did not make it permanent. In a later era, Lu Chuan found Yin Shang nearing its end; Chaoge subsequently became ruins 678 729 808.