Watch: The Shang dynasty
Narrator: Over three and a half thousand years ago ancient China was ruled by a powerful family of kings.
This period was known as the Shang dynasty.
King Tang: I am King Tang and I rule over this land.
Narrator: The Shang dynasty was located near the Yellow River.
The river made the land good for growing crops and food.
Wheat Collector: The wheat looks healthy, there will be a good harvest.
Narrator: During the Shang period, bronze was the most important metal, weapons, armour and tools were all made from bronze.
Sword Maker: My weapon is ready, it will be strong in battle.
Narrator: People also used the precious stone jade to create beautiful jewellery and treasures.
Jade carving was a special skill and was highly respected.
Jade carver: We’re under attack!
Narrator: The Shang dynasty lasted for over five centuries but came to an end when the last king, Di Xin, was defeated in a battle and a new dynasty was formed.
King Di Xin: No one will get my treasures now.
Narrator: After he was overthrown, King Di Xin hid all his treasures in his palace and burned it to the ground.
Where was the Shang dynasty?
- For 500 years, part of China was ruled by the Shang dynasty during the era 1600 - 1046 BC.
- Their territory was along the Yellow River which produced fertile farms for the people.
- These farms were very important to the success of the Shang dynasty.
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How did the Shang dynasty start?
The legend in the Annals of the Yin tells that the second wife of Emperor Ku, Jiandi, swallowed an egg dropped by a blackbird. She gave birth miraculously to Xie.
Xie is believed to be the first ancestor of the Shang dynasty.
The legend says that Xie helped Yu the Great control the great flood and was given a place called Shang in return.
Xie’s descendants founded the dynasty.
The first Shang king was Cheng Tang who defeated the Xia dynasty in the Battle of Mingtiao.
The last Shang king was Di Xin, defeated in a great battle by Wu of Zhou.
How do we know about the Shang dynasty?
The Shang dynasty is the earliest dynasty of Chinese history supported by archaeological evidence.
The last Shang capital was at Yin (near modern-day Anyang) and thousands of bronze, jade, stone, bone and ceramic artefacts have been uncovered.
The earliest known Chinese writing was also found there, tens of thousands of inscriptions on oracle bones, telling us a lot about life, politics and religion under the Shang dynasty.
Explore artefacts from the Shang dynasty
Image caption, This is an axe made from bronze. It would have had a wooden handle and been used by the Shang warriors to fight enemies. It is now in the British Museum in London.
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Activity 2: Shang dynasty quiz
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