From the perspective of the new era, comment on the assimilation of Huaxia Dongyi in the Shang Dynasty

Since the end of the Shang Tang Dynasty, the various tribes of Dongyi have successively poured into present-day Henan Province from present-day Shandong Province. At that time, the Xia and Li tribes, oppressed by merchants, migrated to remote areas. It is said that the ancestors of the Chu state moved out of the Central Plains at this time. In Li Zongdong's "History of Ancient Chinese Society", it is recorded that when the Shang dynasty destroyed Xia, one part of the Zhurong clan was destroyed, and the rest rushed south to the Jianghan River Valley.

After the merchants entered the Central Plains, although most of the Xia tribes in the Central Plains were already ruled by merchants, they were only paying tribute and serving, and did not suffer special abuses and oppression, which can be seen according to the "Book of Shang" and other legends, there are few records of disputes between the Xia and Shang clans during this period. On the contrary, it is written in the "History of the Chen Qi Family": "After Xia Houyu, Yin Shi was either sealed or extinguished." In addition, in the "Shang Shu Duoshi Chapter", shang quoted Xia Ren Youyun: "Now Er also knows that Xia DiJian is in the royal court, and there are hundreds of servants." It can be seen that the Xia clan had been enthroned or served in the royal family during the Shang Dynasty.

Because the Shang people were friendly with the Xia people, they were able to obtain the support and cooperation of the Xia people, which was actually the main reason why Huaxia Dongyi was able to quickly assimilate in blood and culture, and the strength of the Shang Dynasty was strong. According to the excavation reports of archaeologists in Yin Ruins, in the ruins of GangtongleZhai after Anyang, Dayandian in Xunxian County, Liuzhuang and Guangwu, it has been found that faience pottery is lower and black pottery is above, and the remains of the two coexist are clearly layered (see Shi Zhangru's "Contribution of Yin Ruins Excavation to Ancient Chinese Culture"). This fact seems to show that the Huaxia and Dongyi ethnic groups had extensive contacts and political and economic cooperation before the Xia Dynasty. However, the comprehensive exchange and assimilation of the two ethnic groups in terms of blood and culture was actually completed in the Shang Dynasty. The bronze culture of the Shang Dynasty is the direct result of the cultural integration of the Huaxia and Dongyi ethnic groups.