Tang of Shang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tang |
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Depiction of King Tang by Ma Lin
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| King of the Shang dynasty | |||||||||
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| Leader of the Predynastic Shang | |||||||||
| Predecessor | Zhu Gui | ||||||||
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| Tang of Shang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 湯 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 汤 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cheng Tang (born Zi Lü) was a very important leader in ancient China. He is known as the first king of the Shang dynasty. People often called him Tang the Perfect because he was seen as a good and fair ruler. Legend says he became king by overthrowing Jie, who was the last king of the Xia dynasty.
Contents
How Tang Rose to Power
Tang ruled a kingdom called Shang. Shang was one of many smaller kingdoms that were under the control of the Xia dynasty. Tang ruled Shang for 17 years before becoming the main king.
Growing Stronger
During the time of King Jie, the Shang kingdom became more powerful. Tang gained support from many other smaller kingdoms, about 40 of them! He saw that King Jie treated his people badly. Tang used this to convince others to join him.
Legend says Tang gave a speech. He told people he didn't want to cause trouble. But King Jie was so terrible that Tang felt he had to act. He believed he was following the Mandate of Heaven. This was a belief that a ruler's right to rule came from the gods. If a ruler was bad, the gods would take away their mandate. Tang even said that King Jie's own soldiers would not follow his orders.
Tang's power kept growing. His minister, Yi Yin, even visited King Jie as an envoy. This showed how important Shang had become.
Battles and Victories
The Shang kingdom continued to expand. They conquered other areas like Wen and Gu. During this time, a chief historian from King Jie's court, Zhong Gu, even left Xia to join Shang. This showed that people were losing faith in King Jie.
The Battle of Mingtiao
The Shang army, led by Tang, fought against King Jie's forces. This big battle happened at a place called Mingtiao. It was a huge fight during a thunderstorm. Tang's army won!
King Jie tried to escape, but Tang's general, Wuzi, chased him down. King Jie was captured and removed from power. This was the end of the Xia dynasty. Jie was sent away to live in Nanchao, where he later died. After this, Tang became the main king, starting the Shang dynasty.
Tang as King of Shang
People in China thought Tang's time as king was very good. He made life better for everyone. He lowered taxes, so people didn't have to pay as much to the government. He also reduced the number of people forced to join the army.
Tang's influence spread far and wide, reaching the Yellow River. Many tribes, like the Di and Qiang, became allies or part of his kingdom. He also made Anyang the new capital city of China.
Helping His People
According to old records, Tang built a special palace called Xia She. This was to remember the Xia dynasty, even though he had overthrown it. This showed his respect for the past.
In his first five years as king, there were several droughts. A drought is when there is not enough rain, which makes it hard for crops to grow. Tang helped poor families who had to sell their children because of the drought. He ordered golden coins to be made and given to them. This money was meant for them to buy their children back.
Old stories also say that in his ninth year as king, Tang moved the Nine Tripod Cauldrons to his Shang Palace. These were special bronze pots made by Yu the Great, a legendary ruler. They were symbols of power and authority.
Myths About Tang
Tang is often shown in different ways in Chinese mythology. These stories and paintings have made him a famous figure.
He is sometimes drawn as a very tall man, about nine feet tall! He might have a white face, a beard, and a pointed head. Some stories even say he had six-jointed arms and a body that was bigger on one side.
There's also a tradition that says Tang of Shang wrote most of the I Ching. This is an ancient Chinese book about wisdom and fortune-telling.
See also
In Spanish: Shāng Tāng para niños
