Looking at the long and extensive history of China, it is only logical that we define what period we are referring to when we mention Ancient China.
Scholars believe that by 2500 BC the Bronze age had come to China, and along with it came the division between the ruling class, the existence of kings and queens and the peasants.
The named dynasties start with the Mythical Xia dynasty.
Xia Dynasty
Some scholars believe that around 4000 years ago, this dynasty ruled over China. Yu (Da Yu) is believed to be the first ruler of this line, and there are few credible sources pointing to the same. No evidence survives from this dynasty. However, this dynasty is referenced to by other dynasties that come almost a millennia later, lending to some of the scholars’ disbelief around its existence.
Given the almost fictional status of this dynasty, then perhaps the biggest legend that references this period is regarding its ruler Yu the Great and how he established this dynasty.
Legend goes that Yu managed to prevent the terrible floods of Yangtze river by establishing a network of canals. This not only divided the force of water, but also established complex irrigation system that boosted farming. Having saved the people, he was anointed the ruler, who later on also managed to unify some other tribes under his banner. This in turn led to the establishment of the Xia dynasty.
It is said that he also established the passing of rulership down within the family, setting up the first imperial family in China. The legend also extensively mentions the subsequent string of rulers and their feats of achievement or debauchery until the last ruler Jie, who is said to have been overthrown by the Shang dynasty.
While the legend itself is fascinating, a recent discovery has shown the existence of the ancient flood over 4000 years ago that might have spawned this legend, even if the flood might have been a few centuries off.
If this was not intriguing enough – there is also a belief that the legend was created by the subsequent Zhou dynasty as a means to justify their own overthrow of the Shang Dynasty and normalise the displacement of the previous imperial family.
Shang Dynasty
It’s also referred to as the Yin dynasty. Some scholars hold the belief that there might have been multiple dynasties ruling different parts of China at the same time; which might have been true for Xia and Shang dynasty as well.
Other common belief as mentioned above is that Shang dynasty came after Xia dynasty. This claim is strengthened by the discovery of artefacts earlier than those of the Shang dynasty. Even if these artefacts are not directly linked to the Xia, they undoubtedly prove the existence of a dynasty pre-dating the Shang.
So based on whichever belief the scholars prefer, usually these dynasties are considered the beginning of Ancient China. Of course, humans had already lived and thrived around the Yangtze river before this period. But that is called ‘Neolithic China’ and predates Ancient China.
Stories from Shang Dynasty
While there are subsequent eras’ works that capture the stories and odes of Shang dynasty; the recovered body of work found from Shang dynasty itself contains no fables or poetry.
The predominant artefacts found from this era are oracle bones. These were used to predict the future. The questions recorded usually pertained to predicting the result of a war, finding the cause of a natural calamity or maintaining the health of the imperial family. Most scholars consider these as documentary texts rather than a form of literature.
The samples unearthed also point to a complex written language system similar to the modern system, such that these bones can be read by modern scholars too.
Zhou dynasty texts mentioning Shang dynasty
Historical texts recorded in the later Zhou dynasty like Shiji(‘The Book of Song’) mentions songs performed in the Shang dynasty court but the texts of these songs are not preserved.
It also mentions Shang dynasty hymns – out of which five are preserved. They praise the ancestors and their martial spirit, and were probably accompanied by different instruments during performance.
Since the works were recorded in later Zhou period, scholars also caution that while these works might have originated from Shang period but were heavily influenced by the values of the Zhou period.
The ‘Confuscian Classic Shangshu‘ also contains 11 prose texts referencing the Shang period.
These texts depict the moral corruption of the last king of Xia dynasty, and also the wisdom bestowed on Tang the Perfect by the heavens to rise up against this tyranny and establish a just rule, leading to the establishment of Shang dynasty.
Another important tale of the dynasty is its founding myth mentioned in ‘Annals of the Yin’. This myth also talks of a great flood. In this myth, the time period before the Shang dynasty was established is known as the “Predynastic Shang“.
Another narrative from this period recounts how a monarch discovered his most trusted advisor, guided solely by the revelations of a prophetic dream.
Final thoughts
From these works, it can be inferred that the individuals of that era possessed a profound reverence for their ancestors and the grace they bestowed. Additionally, they held a belief in deities, leading them to attribute natural disasters to the displeasure of the heavens.
Just like other civilisations, they also had various founding myths that would explain how the dynasty itself was established.
The kings were regarded as having been divinely ordained with the authority to govern. In numerous foundational myths, they are depicted as having rescued humanity from a great flood through their astuteness, and therefore proving their right to rule. These narratives cast the kings in a heroic light, emerging during periods of turmoil to lead the populace to safety.
Conversely, certain narratives were utilised to emphasise the despotic characteristics of various monarchs that precipitated the collapse of dynasties. These narratives were often recounted as cautionary tales.
Historically, the Zhou dynasty ascended to prominence following the defeat of the Shang dynasty. It is regarded as one of the longest-lasting Chinese dynasties and witnessed the emergence of several Classics that established the foundation of subsequent Chinese literary and philosophical traditions. The forthcoming post in this series will examine these matters in greater detail.
Leave a comment