Battle of Mingtiao facts for kids

The Battle of Mingtiao was a very important battle in ancient China. It happened between the Shang people and the Xia dynasty. The Shang won, and this victory helped their leader, Tang of Shang, become the new ruler of China, starting the Shang dynasty.

Why the Battle Happened

Jie of Xia, from a rubbing of relief from a Wu family shrine, Jiaxiang, Shandong Province, 150 CE, Han dynasty

King Tang of Shang

The Xia dynasty was the first dynasty in China. But when Jie became king, the Xia family's power was getting weaker. King Jie was not a good ruler. He was known for being unfair and not caring about his people.

King Jie thought his palace was too simple. So, he ordered a huge new palace to be built. This project took seven years to finish. It also used up a lot of money and forced thousands of people to work as slaves. The ordinary people were very unhappy about this.

Meanwhile, the Shang clan (sometimes called the Predynastic Shang) was becoming stronger. Their leader, Tang of Shang, was very different from King Jie. Tang was kind to his people and helped farming grow. He also made friends with nearby tribes.

Tang had a very smart helper named Yi Yin. Yi Yin was originally a slave who became Tang's chef. But he was also very good at understanding what was happening in the world. He became Tang's most trusted advisor.

Tang decided he wanted to end the Xia dynasty. He pretended to follow King Jie's rules, but secretly he was getting ready to overthrow him. Tang moved his people to a place called Bo. This area was flat, which made it easy to move an army towards the Xia capital. Because Tang treated his people well, they supported him strongly.

Most nobles in ancient China believed in gods and ancestors. They thought it was very important to worship them. There was a tribe called Ge near the Shang. They didn't worship their ancestors regularly. They even ate animals that Tang had given them for sacrifices and harmed children who brought the animals. Tang conquered this tribe and a few others. But King Jie didn't realize that Tang was a serious threat to his rule.

The Battle of Mingtiao

When some tribes started to rebel against the Xia dynasty, Tang of Shang knew it was time to act. He began his attack on the Xia. King Jie heard about Tang's rebellion. He sent troops from smaller areas like Gu, Wei, and Kuenwu.

Yi Yin, Tang's advisor, told Tang to wait a year before the main fight. During that time, Tang conquered Gu and Wei, and defeated Kuenwu. This showed his strength.

Before the big battle, Yi Yin told Tang that his army needed to feel brave and confident. So, Tang gave a powerful speech to his soldiers. This speech is known as 'Tang's pledge'.

The two armies finally met at a place called Mingtiao (which is in modern-day Xia County, China) around 1600 BC. Tang's generals and soldiers really disliked King Jie, so they fought with great courage. On the other hand, King Jie's soldiers saw how strong the Shang army was. They didn't listen to King Jie's commands. Many of them gave up or ran away.

Because of this, the Shang army won the battle easily. After their victory, they established the Shang dynasty.

After losing the battle, King Jie of Xia tried to find safety in Kuenwu. But Tang of Shang conquered Kuenwu too. Tang then forced King Jie to go into exile in Nanchao (which is in modern-day Chao, Anhui province). King Jie stayed there until he died. Tang then removed any remaining Xia forces and used the Xia people as slaves.

What Happened Next

Tang of Shang was a nobleman, and his overthrow of the Xia dynasty is seen as the first 'noble revolution' in Chinese history. The Shang dynasty he started became the second dynasty in China's long history.

See also

• Battle of Muye