If we were to name a more controversial monarch in history, I think King Zhou of Shang would definitely be on the list. So, what kind of king was the real King Zhou of Shang in history?

Shakespeare once said this sentence: "There will be a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand readers"

If you want to judge a more controversial monarch in history, I think King Zhou of Shang will definitely be on the list. Famous. Some people say that he is cruel and cruel and commits all kinds of evil; others say that he works hard to govern and is talented and strategic.

So, what kind of king was the real King Zhou of Shang in history? Is he a wise king or a foolish king, an angel or a devil?

The enterprising and promising king

King Zhou of Shang Dynasty was named Emperor Xin and his surname was Zi. He reigned for about 30 years and was the last monarch of Shang Dynasty . "Xunzi Feixiang Pian" records that he was "huge and beautiful, a hero in the world; his muscles were super strong, and he was the enemy of a hundred people."

If you translate this passage, it roughly means that King Zhou of Shang was not only a human being He is handsome, strong, and very talented. also seems to be a very rich and handsome one.

So, is King Zhou worthy of such a high evaluation? In fact, we can draw conclusions from some of his actions after taking the throne.

After inheriting the throne, King Zhou implemented a series of effective policies , which enabled the Shang Dynasty to further develop and grow on the basis of inheriting and consolidating the foundation of the previous generation.

Externally, he sent troops many times to conquer the Dongyi and Xu Yi who had long harassed the Shang Dynasty border. This move not only ensured the long-term peace and stability of the country, but also laid the foundation for the formation of a unified dynasty in later generations.

Internally, King Zhou was eclectic in selecting officials. He did not base his appointment on the class background of officials, but on actual ability as the criterion for selecting talents. made an exception and promoted a large number of people from lowly backgrounds, but who did have real talents. Honest and honest officials with practical knowledge.

From this point of view, King Zhou of Shang can be regarded as a promising king, so how could he die and destroy his country and become a weak king who was criticized by later generations?

Character determines destiny

As the saying goes, no gold is pure and no one is perfect. The inherent flaws in the character of King Zhou of Shang prevented him from becoming a sage monarch who will go down in history, and even became a king who subjugated his country.

It is true that King Zhou of Shang was outstanding in governance, but he also had character flaws such as being self-willed and overachieving.

In terms of employment, King Zhou made an exception and promoted many talented people into the ruling class; on the other hand, he suppressed and neglected his important officials. This move caused internal divisions in the Shang Dynasty's ruling class and laid hidden dangers for the subsequent demise of the Shang Dynasty.

In addition, King Zhou launched foreign wars in successive years, resulting in huge military expenditures, and a heavy tax burden fell on the common people. This also intensified domestic class conflicts and caused King Zhou to lose the support of the people.

Finally, King Zhou's willful character was an important reason for the tragic defeat of the Battle of Muye, and the Shang Dynasty also perished.

In 1046 BC, King Wu of Zhou led the princes to launch a war to destroy the Shang Dynasty. The army approached the capital of the Shang Dynasty Chaoge , and the war to determine the fate of the two dynasties was about to begin.

Due to the shortage of troops in the capital, King Zhou of Shang decided to issue weapons to slaves and prisoners in the city to resist the Zhou Dynasty army. This move also laid hidden dangers for the fiasco of the Battle of Makino.

After the battle began, the slaves and prisoners of the Shang Dynasty surrendered and defected when they encountered resistance, because they understood that even if finally won, they would not be able to gain their freedom in the Shang Dynasty, so they might as well surrender and support the new dynasty.

In this way, King Zhou of Shang paid the price for his self-will. He also burned himself to death after the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Makino, ending his legendary and controversial life.

The origin of King Zhou’s negative comments

As mentioned above, although King Zhou of Shang had some personality flaws as a monarch, he was not unforgivable. But why did many history books and film and television dramas in later generations portray him as a heinous person? Where are the disciples?

History is written by the victors, and only those who have experienced it know the true history.

We all know that the dynasty established after the demise of the Shang Dynasty was the Zhou Dynasty, and most of the history books that negatively commented on King Zhou of Shang came from after the Zhou Dynasty.

It is not difficult to see from this that the notoriety of King Zhou of Shang was the deliberate result of the Zhou Dynasty historians adding fuel to the fire. The reason for is simply to find a theoretical basis for Zhou to replace merchants, and only in this way can the legitimacy of his agent merchants be reflected.

As for "The Romance of the Gods", which describes the most evil deeds of King Zhou, it is a mythological novel written by people in the Ming Dynasty. is mixed with artistic processing of historical events, and its content is even less credible.

We only use a detailed description from "The Romance of the Gods": King Zhou only had two sons, while King Wen of Zhou had more than 100 children. Whoever is debauched and immoral will have the style of a wise king, you understand. Nature understands.

After King Zhou, there is only the Son of Heaven and no one will be emperor.

"My destiny is up to me, not God." talks about a fighting spirit that people do not bow to God and have a positive and enterprising spirit. King Zhou also has such a trait.

When King Wu of Zhou conquered Zhou, one of the charges against King Zhou was "Believe that destiny is in heaven, and do not pay attention to sacrifices." refers to King Zhou's disrespect for heaven.

This incident is due to the sacrificial ceremony of Shang and Zhou periods. According to regulations, the emperor must regularly offer sacrifices to heaven in order to ensure good weather and peace for the country and the people. sometimes even kills slaves as sacrifices to worship heaven.

According to relevant historical records, The Shang Dynasty killed more than 4,000 slaves at most in a sacrificial event. This move was certainly a cruel and ignorant feudal superstition, but the ancients at the time believed it deeply.

King Zhou was not interested in this behavior that seemed to be a matter of course at the time. He ordered the cancellation of the sacrificial activities, which also saved these slaves from the tragic fate of being killed.

Judging from our today's perspective, King Zhou's thoughts and behaviors were certainly advanced. However, in the social environment at that time where ghosts and gods were extremely believed in, his behavior was undoubtedly deviant. This also became an excuse for King Wu of Zhou to attack him. one.

After King Wu destroyed the Shang Dynasty, the Western Zhou Dynasty and all subsequent monarchs respected themselves as the Son of Heaven, promoting the idea that the power of kings was divinely authorized and the Emperor of Heaven was revered to rule the people and consolidate their status.

It can be seen from this that King Zhou of Shang Dynasty was one of the rare monarchs who did not surrender to heaven and dared to challenge the authority of "heaven". He can be called the true and final "Human Emperor",

and the monarchs after this can only be called the Son of Heaven.

summary

History is a story for onlookers, but it is personal joy and sadness for those who have experienced it. We cannot travel back to that era to feel the joy, anger, sorrow and joy of King Zhou of Shang Dynasty, but can only analyze his heart through relevant information and self-interpretation.

Although King Zhou of Shang was nailed to the pillar of shame in history, we can still see his enterprising and positive side. Although he is not a perfect wise king, he is still a human emperor with a distinctive personality and flesh and blood.

is responsible for what happened before death, so there is no need to comment after death. believes that with the advancement of historical research and archaeological technology, more unknown secrets about King Zhou of Shang will be revealed one by one. By then, we will be able to further explore and understand his merits and demerits.