chinesegeography

King Wuwang Topples the Shang Dynasty



Corruption in the Shang Dynasty reached its peak during the reign of King Zhouwang. He had a luxurious palace built in Chaoge called "Lutai," or Deer Terrace, which served as a storehouse for the treasures he had seized. The king used various brutal methods to suppress the people. One of the devices, dubbed paoluo, was said to be a hollow bronze column, some 6 meters high and 2.4 meters cross, stuffed with buming carbon, with three holes distributed evenly from top to bottom. Those who opposed him, officials and common people alike, would all be arrested and burned to death on the red-hot column.



As the Shang Dynasty declined, a state named Zhou was rising to the west. In stark contrast to Zhouwang's cruelty, King Wenwang of Zhou adopted a policy of "enriching the people," to encourage them to become rich through labor. Hardworking and living a simple life, the king often went to work in the fields together with the peasants to learn about their lives. By the time his son, King Wuwang (r. 1046 to 1042 BC), took the throne, Zhou had overpowered the Shang. Many states that had been subordinate to Shang turned instead to Zhou.



When Wuwang commanded his troops to advance toward Mengjin, taking with him on a chariot a memorial tablet for his late father, he was joined by many other regional rulers who had long resented Zhouwang. They all suggested to Wuwang that he should attack Chaoge directly, to end the rule of Zhouwang. After studying the intelligence reports filed by the spies he had sent to Chaoge, Wuwang decided that the time was not yet ripe for the final attack. He then withdrew his troops, and continued to make preparations while biding his time.



Upon learning that Wuwang's troops were nearby, Zhouwang hastened to gather about 170,000 troops to confront the invaders at Muye. Though outnumbering Wuwang's troops, Zhouwang's troops were mostly composed of slaves who had just been captured. These slaves were all outraged by the cruel king, but they were placed in the front, with elite forces and imperial guards from behind forcing them to charge, an arrangement that only heightened their desire to rebel. As soon as the battle commenced, they switched allegiances and joined soldiers from the Zhou and fought against the Shang troops. As a result, Zhouwang suffered a severe defeat at Muye. Upon seeing the fall of his dynasty, he dressed himself up, mounted the Deer Terrace, piled beautiful jade and other precious treasures all around himself, and ordered the terrace to be set on fire, putting an end to his wicked life.



Five days after the decisive battle at Muye, Wuwang proclaimed the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, taking Haojing (southeast of today's Lintong, Shaanxi Province) as the capital. It was known as the Western Zhou (1046-771 BC), the third and last slave dynasty in Chinese history, after the Xia and Shang dynasties, and considered the golden age of early China.

The Fall of the Xia Dynasty-Sequel I



When he died, Da Yu passed the throne to his son Qi, who founded the first slave dynasty in Chinese history, the Xia Dynasty, at the end of the 22nd and beginning of the 21st century BC. Dynastic rulers governed the country for over 400 years until 16th century BC, when Jie, an infamous tyrant, was overthrown.



At that time, the Shang, a tribe living along the lower reaches of the Yellow River who specialized in animal herding, rose rapidly. By the end of the Xia Dynasty, they had become a powerful tribe led by Tang, also known as Shang Tang or Cheng Tang.



Indignant over its corruption, Tang was determined to topple the Xia Dynasty. While acting ostensibly obedient to Jie, he secretly enhanced his own power. In order to facilitate military operations, he moved his tribe to Bo (today's Shangqiu, Henan Province). From Bo to the capital of the Xia Dynasty stretched a vast plain without any mountains or rivers, a geological advantage making it easy for large troops to maneuver. In Bo, Tang with his tolerance won the support of all his tribesmen. He also tried to boost his profile across the country, and to seek the approval of other tribes.



At that time, all tribal leaders believed in gods, and considered the worshipping of the heavens, the earth and their ancestors, to be of paramount importance. However, a tribe called Ge, not far from the Shang tribe, did not offer sacrifices at the correct time. Worse still, the people there themselves ate the cattle and sheep Tang had offered them for sacrificial use.

Emperors Huangdi and Yandi



Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, was one of the Five Emperors in prehistoric China, together with Zhuanxu, Diku, Yao and Shun, prominent tribe leaders of the patriarchal society. With the family name of Gongsun, and given name Xuanyuan, Huangdi was born a talented child. When he grew up, he was elected chief of his tribe, because of his readiness to help his fellow tribesmen. Later, he defeated and annexed a tribe led by Yandi, surnamed Jiang, in an armed conflict. After the takeover, Huangdi became the chief of the new tribe, with Yandi serving as his deputy. The Yan-Huang tribe is believed to be the embryo of the Chinese nation. The Chinese often refer to themselves as "descendants of Huandi and Yandi."



After the merger of the tribes of Yandi and Huangdi, the Jiuli tribe in the south began to move northeastward, threatening the Yan-Huang tribe. As he once had defeated Yandi in a battle, Chiyou, the arrogant chief of the Jiuli tribe, presumed the Yan-Huang tribe to be no match to him.



Chiyou was said to be a powerful figure. He had 81 brothers, all of whom were animals with human heads, each with eight arms and nine toes. Their foreheads were as strong as iron. Wearing colorful designs on their faces, these ferocious creatures could eat sand and stone. In order to cope with the threat from the Jiuli tribe, Yandi and Huangdi had many stone knives and axes carved, and a formidable force trained. At the same time, they devised a scrupulous defense plan.



A fierce battle between the two tribes finally broke out in Zhuolu. At the beginning, Huangdi ordered General Yinglong to block rivers and used the water to drown Chiyou's troops. Chiyou remained unfazed as he had the support of the gods of wind and rain, who sent strong winds and heavy rains. In response, Huangdi sent for Goddess Hanbo, who dispelled the winds and rains with scorching sunshine and dry gusts.



Beaten in the first round, Chiyou was forced to make the most of his powers. Using wizardry, he caused a heavy fog. In the blinding fog, which lasted for three days and nights, the warriors of the Yan-Huang tribe lost all sense of direction, unable to spot their enemies, and they struggled to stay together. Huangdi then ordered General Fenghou to construct a compass chariot to give directions. With the chariot, they found the location of Chiyou's headquarters.



When they launched the decisive attack, the complacent Chiyou was indulging in merrymaking, assuming a guaranteed victory in this battle. The offensive took him by complete surprise. He was beaten to the ground and taken prisoner before he had time to organize any significant counterattack. After their triumph, Yandi and Huangdi merged the Jiuli tribe into the Yan-Huang tribe.