Shang Dynasty: The Mystery of Moving the Capital.
In the long history of ancient China, the Shang Dynasty was a dynasty full of legends and mysteries. The phenomenon of the frequent relocation of the capital of the Shang Dynasty is a major mystery in history, which has triggered the thinking and research of countless historians and scholars. Today, let's unravel this mystery together and explore the reason why Yin Shang moved the capital.
The waywardness of the Yellow River.
First, let's take a look at the role of the Yellow River. As the mother river of Chinese civilization, the Yellow River carries the destiny of the Chinese nation. However, the ancient Yellow River was not as stable and docile as it is today, but a capricious and unavoidable existence. From time to time, the Yellow River is like a wayward little girl, jumping out of the river, causing floods and bringing great disasters to the surrounding residents. The frequent migration of the capital of the Shang Dynasty was partly due to the inadmissibility of the Yellow River. The Shang Dynasty's imperial capital was affected by the flooding of the Yellow River, forcing the Shang kings to constantly move their capitals in order to survive.
The struggle for the throne.
Secondly, the struggle for the throne was also one of the important reasons for the frequent relocation of the capital of the Shang Dynasty. In the early days of the Shang Dynasty, due to the imperfection of the succession system, a series of throne disputes were caused. In the process of fighting for the throne, various internal struggles and political intrigues continued, which exacerbated the turmoil of the imperial court. In order to compete for the throne, each royal family wanted to move the capital to their own sphere of influence in order to better control the power. In this situation of competition for the throne, moving the capital became a political means to consolidate one's dominance.
Social unrest and class contradictions.
In addition, the social turmoil and class contradictions in the Shang Dynasty were also one of the important reasons for the relocation of the capital. In Shang society, there was a clear class division, with the slave-owning aristocracy dominating, while commoners and slaves were at the bottom of society. The slave-owning aristocracy was greedy and corrupt, and cruel to commoners and slaves, which led to social unrest. In order to stabilize the social situation, the Shang king had to calm the discontent of the society by moving the capital in order to maintain his dominance.
The quest for bronze resources.
Finally, some scholars believe that the frequent capital moves of the Shang Dynasty were also related to the search for bronze resources. During the Shang Dynasty, the bronze casting industry was a very important industry, and the search for bronze resources was crucial to the development of the Shang Dynasty. In order to obtain more bronze resources, the Shang kings had to constantly move their capitals in order to master more abundant resources to support the country's economic development and military expansion.
Epilogue. To sum up, there are many reasons for the frequent relocation of the capital of the Shang Dynasty, including the influence of natural factors, as well as the combined effect of political, social, economic and other factors. The historical phenomenon of the Shang Dynasty's relocation of the capital reflects the social turmoil and political wisdom of the rulers at that time. Through the study of the relocation of the capital of the Shang Dynasty, we can not only have a deeper understanding of the operating mechanism of ancient society, but also draw some useful enlightenment from it, which can provide reference for the development of contemporary society.