January 26, 1046 B.C., was the day when King Wu of Zhou launched the Battle of Muye and won the victory, announcing the beginning of more than 800 years of rule of the Zhou Dynasty. This war is archaeologically recognized as one of the earliest wars in Chinese history.
Battle of Makino Part of the Battle of Shang and Zhou Shang Dynasty spheres of influence
In the eleventh year of King Wu of Zhou (1046 BC), the Zhou people took advantage of the opportunity of the main force of Yin Shang to conquer Dongyi and sent troops to attack Yin Shang, which led to the Battle of Muye. The war ended with a complete victory for the Zhou army, and the Shang Dynasty Emperor Xin (纣) committed suicide, marking the end of the Shang Dynasty. Later generations called this period "Wuwang Keyin", "Wuwang Keshang", and "Wuwang Van Xuan".
At the end of the Shang Dynasty, specifically on January 26 of the 11th year of King Wu of Zhou (1046 BC), King Wu of Zhou, with the assistance of Taigong Lu Shang and others, led a total of 45,000 troops, including 300 chariots and 3,000 tigers, to attack the Shang Dynasty in the east. In this operation, the Zhou army developed rapidly, rendezvous with the tribes of various states at Mengjin, then marched eastward in the rain, crossed the Yellow River, and finally reached the Shang Dynasty at Muye. In Muye, the Zhou army held a solemn oath-taking ceremony, King Wu launched a general attack, Lü Shang led the army to strike first, and then King Wu himself led the main force to charge and break the Shang army. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Di Xin set himself on fire and died after returning to the dynasty.
Makino Yuki
According to the Book of Yi Zhou, the Battle of Muye was a war in which the Zhou army won a complete victory, and then the Zhou army continued to conquer other countries, destroying a total of 99 countries, conquering 652 countries, killing 180,000 people and taking 330,000 prisoners. After the war, the Shang lord Fei Lian was expelled to the seashore. In addition, the Zhou army also obtained an abundance of prey and treasure, including rhinoceros, tigers, bears, deer, and other animals, as well as jewels, allowing each participant to equip armor and retain Wu Geng's fiefdom.
Makino Yuki
Regarding the number and composition of the Yin Shang army that participated in the war, there are different accounts in the historical records. The Book of Songs mentions that "the journey of Yin Shang will be like a forest", but the number of people is not specified. The Records of the Zhou Dynasty states that the Shang army numbered 700,000, while another theory puts it that the Yin Shang army involved in the war was about 170,000. As for the fate of the Shang Dynasty army, there is a theory that the commander Di Xin had died in battle, causing the army to be chaotic and lose its combat effectiveness.
Makino Yuki
The outcome of the Battle of Makino has been described as the merchant army suffering heavy casualties and bleeding. However, different historical perspectives have different views on this. Mencius expressed doubts about this when he looked at the "Book of Shang, Book of Zhou, and Wucheng", believing that the credibility of historical books was limited, and advocating not to blindly believe it. Wang Chong of the Han Dynasty believed that the victory of the Zhou army was comparable to that of the Han and Qin wars, but also raised doubts about the bloody pestle described in the Wucheng.
Regarding the fate of Emperor Xin, there are accounts that he died by self-immolation on Lutai after the war, but there are other accounts that he was beheaded. This has sparked some controversy, and there is no definite conclusion as to whether or not there was a "military defection" in the Shang Dynasty.
Makino Yuki
After the Battle of Makino, the main army of the Shang Dynasty's Eastern Expedition failed to return to China, and its whereabouts are unknown. The war had a profound impact on Chinese history, marking the establishment of the Zhou dynasty and the end of the Shang dynasty.
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