How did "merchants" come about? The history is longer than many people. The earliest origin should be the middle of the Xia Dynasty, 3800 years ago, and was revered by the Shang Dynasty as "Wang Hai". Wang Hai pioneered the earliest trade activities, led the strength and rise of the Shang people, and also brought the proper nouns of "merchant" and "commodity", which have been used by the Chinese nation to this day.
So, what kind of historical contribution did Wang Hai make to the rise of the Shang clan and even to the development of the entire Chinese civilization? According to ancient documents, his exploits are mainly as follows:
First, large-scale rearing of livestock. This is the prototype of animal husbandry;
Second, invent the ox cart and improve the means of transportation. This is the prototype of transportation;
Third, create trade activities. This is the most authentic prototype of the "businessman".
It is said that one day, Wang Hai led his people to work in the fields, placing the kettles and other agricultural tools he carried with him on the edge of the field. However, it was later discovered that the kettles and agricultural tools had been quietly stolen, and the valuables exchanged by other tribes were placed in place. This made Wang Hai realize that the ordinary pottery and agricultural tools of the Shang clan were so precious in the eyes of others, so he had the idea of taking the initiative to trade.
From then on, Wang Hai began to organize his people to drive ox carts and carry surplus grain, livestock, pottery and bronze to the territories of other tribes to carry out trade activities. In the closed and conservative ancient times, the trade behavior of the Shang people immediately became a symbol of identity, and "merchant" became the title of other tribes to the messengers of the Shang trade. The trading goods carried by the Shang people also began to be called "commodities".
It is conceivable that in the middle of the Xia Dynasty more than 3800 years ago, the Shang people were the first to carry out large-scale trade activities, and there was no competitor in the market. As a result, they acquired huge wealth in a short period of time, and Wang Hai became the earliest "richest man" in China overnight.
According to the calculation of Yin Xu's oracle bones, Wang Hai lived about 50 years old, and the cause of his death is a mystery for eternity, and there is still no conclusion. In just a few decades, Wang Hai led the rapid rise of the Shang Dynasty through large-scale trade activities. It was also from this period that the living conditions of the Shang people, as well as the level of agricultural and handicraft development, began to surpass the Xia Dynasty of the same period, making it possible for the later Shang Tang Dynasty xia.
Perhaps, as Mr. Wang Guowei, a master of traditional Chinese studies, said, Wang Hai was solemnly sacrificed by later generations because he was China's "ancestor of commerce and saint of production."