History Bite: pt 2

*announcer voice* LAST TIME, on CHINESE HISTORY!!  The Beast from the East was slain and his shoulderblades used to predict hunting results.

Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice...

Archaeologists and historians generally divide the Shang Dynasty into two periods: the early and late.  We pay these people for some reason.

The reason for the distinction varies by source, making it difficult to encapsulate effectively.  The capital city of the Shang dynasty moved six times; some sources list the final move in 1350 BC to Yin (modern-day Yinxu, in the northernmost reaches of the Henan province) as the start of a significant era of the dynasty.  Others don't mention this move at all; instead, they use an archaeological shift wherein direct records of the Shang dynasty emerge, rather than later histories.

The gap between histories and physical evidence mostly extends until Emperor Wu Ding, who reigned from 1250-1192 BC.  Of note with this fellow is his most famous consort, Lady Fu Hao; her name is found on hundreds of oracle bone inscriptions and is a renowned military general.  It seems unusual to me for a woman to hold such a prominent place in ancient Chinese politics, which are very patrilineal.  I may dig into that more another time.

The Shang dynasty "formally" ends in 1046 BC, wherein the Zhou dynasty displaced the Shang after the Battle of Muye.  The Zhou Dynasty is the first to establish the Mandate of Heaven doctrine, similar to the Divine Right of Kings in Western civilization.  It is worth noting, however, that while the Divine Right was largely passed down through generations, the Mandate of Heaven specifically allowed for anyone who proved themselves "worthy" by defeating an unjust ruler could theoretically ascend to the throne; should someone displant a ruler, it would be taken as an indication that the Mandate had been removed from that one and conferred upon another. 

What is particularly interesting about this doctrine is that it inherently places a supreme importance on the virtue of the ruler, and the service they provide to the people, rather than focusing on how the people can serve the king. It likely contributes to a tradition in Chinese culture of self-establishing virtue; as opposed to Western thought, which tends to have an external locus of morality, one could argue that the Mandate of Heaven is an early step that establishes the burden squarely on the individual.

Zaijian,
-L