The Shang Dynasty was the first dynasty in Chinese history that can be accurately recorded, and it was also a representative state of slave society. It dates back to the mid-16th century BC to the early 11th century BC. The rise of the Shang Dynasty was inseparable from the development of the Yellow River Basin.
The political system of the Shang Dynasty was a monarchy characterized by a hereditary system. Monarchs were known as Shang kings, and they inherited the throne by hereditary means. The core of maintaining power was the army, and sub-vassals were established throughout the country. The Shang king and the nobles around him ruled the country, while the frontier regions were ruled through the military power of the Shang dynasty.
The economic foundation of the Shang Dynasty was mainly agriculture, and the fertile soil of the Yellow River Basin provided good conditions for agricultural production. Farmers planted crops such as millet, wheat, millet and millet, and raised cattle, sheep and other livestock. At the same time, the Shang Dynasty also developed handicrafts, such as pottery and bronze, which not only met people's daily needs, but were also used for ceremonial and foreign trade.
The Shang dynasty was socially hierarchical, with nobles owning large amounts of land and labor, and peasants being their vassals, subject to strict rule and exploitation. The aristocracy was wealthy and extravagant, and pursued pleasure and luxury as its main pursuit. In the social structure, there was also a part of slaves, who were plundered by the nobility through war and used for labor and fighting.
The Shang Dynasty is the earliest recorded dynasty in Chinese history, and the appearance of the Shang Dynasty oracle bone script is considered the origin of Chinese characters. Oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty were engraved on turtle plates and animal bones, mainly for divination and sacrifice. These texts record a wealth of social information, such as daily life, political affairs, religious ceremonies, etc.
The Shang Dynasty also valued religious beliefs, worshipped ancestors and natural spirits, and used dragons as totems. The social activities of the Shang Dynasty were closely related to religious ceremonies, and religious beliefs played an important role in political and social life.
The rise and prosperity of the Shang Dynasty provided an important political, economic, and cultural foundation for the later Zhou Dynasty. The hereditary system in the political system of the Shang Dynasty laid the foundation for the later feudal system, and the handicraft and commercial exchanges of the Shang Dynasty also laid the foundation for the formation of the later commodity economy.
In addition, the Shang Dynasty left a rich artistic legacy. Shang dynasty bronzes are an important stage in the development of Chinese bronzes and have a high artistic level. The bronzes of the Shang Dynasty were mainly containers, such as ding, yao, jue, etc., which were exquisite in shape and intricate in ornamentation, which richly expressed the life and aesthetic pursuit of the society at that time.
In general, the Shang Dynasty, as a representative of the slave society period in Chinese history, had an important influence on its political, economic, social and cultural aspects. It laid the foundation for the development of later Chinese history, and also provided an important reference and reference for the development of future generations' political system, economic model and culture and art.