The Shang had a system of money, using valuable cowrie shells that they received as part of their extensive trade with neighbors. The Shang king and his nobles spent extravagant amounts of money on their palaces, furnishings, clothing, and even their tombs. Over time, this lavish spending may have weakened the economy. A later king would say that the final blow was the corruption of the last Shang king. Rather than look after his people, he spent all his time on recreational activities like hunting. But no one knows whether this report was true. Around 1045 B.C.E., a frontier state called Zhou (joh) rose up against the dynasty. Zhou armies under King Wu caught the Shang unaware, defeating and overthrowing them. One story says that, as Zhou rebels stormed his capital city, the last Shang king ran from the battlefield, put on all his jewelry, and threw himself into the flames of a fire. Interactive Notebook Describe three causes of the fall of the Shang dynasty. Wrap It Up In this chapter, you learned about one of earliest dynasties, the Shang China’s dynasty, by examining artifacts from that time. The ruins and artifacts found at Anyang show that the Shang A Shang Capital City - believed in an afterlife. Kings were buried with goods, people, and animals that would be useful to them in their life after death. Shang Government - Shang kings were powerful rulers who inherited their power and kept it through family ties and military might. Shang Social Classes - Shang society can be divided into six social classes: the king’s clan, nobles, artisans, traders, farmers, and slaves. Shang Religion, Writing, Arts, and Technology - The Shang practiced ancestor worship and, sometimes, human sacrifice. Their writing used logographs as well as pictographs. Shang artisans excelled in working with bronze and jade. The bronze weapons they created enabled the Shang to stay in power. The End of the Shang Dynasty - The Shang ruled in the valley of the Huang He for some five hundred years. They traded widely and grew wealthy. But constant warfare, lavish
The Shang had a system of money, using valuable cowrie shells that they received as part of their extensive trade with neighbors. The Shang king and his nobles spent extravagant amounts of money on their palaces, furnishings, clothing, and even their tombs. Over time, this lavish spending may have weakened the economy. A later king would say that the final blow was the corruption of the last Shang king. Rather than look after his people, he spent all his time on recreational activities like hunting. But no one knows whether this report was true. Around 1045 B.C.E., a frontier state called Zhou (joh) rose up against the dynasty. Zhou armies under King Wu caught the Shang unaware, defeating and overthrowing them. One story says that, as Zhou rebels stormed his capital city, the last Shang king ran from the battlefield, put on all his jewelry, and threw himself into the flames of a fire. Interactive Notebook Describe three causes of the fall of the Shang dynasty. Wrap It Up In this chapter, you learned about one of China’s earliest dynasties, the Shang dynasty, by examining artifacts from that time. A Shang Capital City - The ruins and artifacts found at Anyang show that the Shang believed in an afterlife. Kings were buried with goods, people, and animals that would be useful to them in their life after death. Shang Government - Shang kings were powerful rulers who inherited their power and kept it through family ties and military might. Shang Social Classes - Shang society can be divided into six social classes: the king’s clan, nobles, artisans, traders, farmers, and slaves. Shang Religion, Writing, Arts, and Technology - The Shang practiced ancestor worship and, sometimes, human sacrifice. Their writing used logographs as well as pictographs. Shang artisans excelled in working with bronze and jade. The bronze weapons they created enabled the Shang to stay in power. The End of the Shang Dynasty - The Shang ruled in the valley of the Huang He for some five hundred years. They traded widely and grew wealthy. But constant warfare, lavish
6_6_14%20China%20Unit%2019%20through%2024(1).docx