Shang Dynasty Impact On China

China’s economy today is much different than that of what it was over three thousand years ago. China’s dynasties were heavily impacted not only by their dynasties, but also by: the wars that they have engaged in, the religious affiliations and Confucianism, and an assortment of different changes in technology, economy, and social and political systems. China’s civilization has experienced great changes that bring it to the country that is known today—some of the biggest changes have come within the times of the dynasty changes. Most of China’s civilization was built upon Confucianism, agriculture, and expansion—mostly with the use of wars. According to research, the dynasty that had the most impact on China was the Song (Sung) dynasty which

The Shang dynasty began in 1600 BCE and ended around 1046 BCE. This dynasty marked the middle of the Chinese Bronze Age and left most of its impact on the area surrounding the Yellow River—otherwise known as “China’s Sorrow.” Shang dynasty is the very first Chinese dynasty to have a written record of their civilization and events; it is also the second of the Three Dynasties period. This dynasty brought with it a strong economy and a large focus on agriculture. The Shang society was ruled as that of a monarchy. The rulers were born into their roles and those below into theirs—much like that of India’s caste system today. Small portions of the regions were ruled by former ruling classes and aristocratic families. Warrior aristocrats were in charge of insuring there was enough food for the monarch and his court by way of collection agricultural crops from the farmer commoners. The agricultural crops—such as millet, wheat, beans, and rice—supported the king’s armies during war times. The warriors also served to keep peace between peasants and the townspeople, as justice was often challenged between the two.

Shang culture heavily impacted ancient China in its culture that eventually altered into modern days’ China. One of the biggest impacts was the invention of the written language. There is some debate over where it originated, but some archeological evidence suggests that it was derived from the hieroglyphics that were

The military commander Wu made claims that the Shang dynasty needed to be brought to an end because of moral reasons and that they had received word from above that heaven wanted the King to stop ruling. It was also said that there was a claim that the reason for the downfall was targeted towards the King’s much too luxurious lifestyle, excessive drinking, and immoral behavior.

The battle that ended the Shang dynasty is the Battle of Muye. The Battle of Muye resulted from the growing decline of the Shang Dynasty. The Zhou clan had been growing more and more powerful under the former Zhou commander Wen. The King feared the growing power of the Zhou clan and set out to have Wen imprisoned. The King later released him and gave him no more thought until Wen died and his son Wu took over to topple the Shang dynasty. In 1046 B.C.E., the Shang dynasty’s army of 53,000 soldiers and a militia of peasants stood up against the Zhou dynasty of 50,000 soldiers in hundreds of