When we talk about ancient dynasties, Shang and Zhou are often mentioned together because the two dynasties are relatively close and share the same culture and politics, which is the same as the Qin and Han Dynasties. The Shang Dynasty lasted for a shorter time than the Zhou Dynasty , and because of its long history, various materials cannot be verified, so there are many historical mysteries. Although the situation in the Zhou Dynasty was better, a large amount of data was lost in frequent wars. Later generations had no way to refer to it when compiling history books. Therefore, various self-contradictory records appeared, and later generations would have many problems when doing research.
For example, where are the capitals of the Shang Dynasty Chaoge and Xiqi, the capitals of the Zhou Dynasty? What is the story between these two places?
Changes in the Capital of the Shang Dynasty
The earliest Shang Dynasty was the Fang Kingdom of the Xia Dynasty , that is, the small princes, who were enfeoffed in what is now Shangqiu, Henan. Later, they continued to develop, annexing the surrounding small countries, and grew stronger. During the reign of Xia Jie, the people were in dire straits. The Shang monarch Shang Tang led his troops to resist the Xia Dynasty and established the Shang Dynasty, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
During the Fang Kingdom period, the capital of the Shang Dynasty was located near the ancient city of Shangqiu, and the capital was called Shangyi. Later, during the war with the Xia Dynasty, due to the need for governance, the capital was moved to Boyi, which is now Bozhou, Anhui. Shang Tang worked hard to govern the Shang Dynasty well. This period is also called the "Shang Tang Revolution". The subsequent rulers of the Shang Dynasty were all short-lived, and the Shang Dynasty also entered a period of pain. Fortunately, after Taijia and Taiwu succeeded to the throne, they carried out a certain degree of reform and pulled the Shang Dynasty, which had begun to decline, back into On track. In the late Shang Dynasty, the inheritance system was destroyed, various princes fought among themselves, and the dynasty inevitably went downhill.
The Shang Dynasty regime during this period was extremely complex and changeable, as reflected in the specific circumstances of frequent capital moves. The king of Shang Zhong Ding moved from Bo to Xiao, He Danjia moved from Xiao to Xiang, Zu Yi moved to Xing, moved to shelter, Nan Geng "self-protected and moved to Yan", these were all political struggles of the Shang Dynasty. Reflecting the intensification, the country's situation has become more turbulent. After Pan Geng succeeded to the throne, he moved the capital again. He "moved to Northern Mongolia , called Yin", which is now Anyang, Henan. The Shang Dynasty also became the Yin Shang we are familiar with. During this period, the political situation of the Shang Dynasty improved, and the living environment of the people also improved. Therefore, after the capital was moved, the Shang Dynasty kept its capital in "Yin".
After King Zhou of Shang Emperor Xin succeeded to the throne, he carried out drastic expansion and transformation of "Yin", so the Chaoge that we are more familiar with appeared. King Zhou of Shang did all kinds of bad things in Chaoge, wine pools and meat forests, and became a model of tyrant until the Western Zhou Dynasty raised troops to destroy the Shang Dynasty. Chaoge is an ancient place name, so where is it? For a long time, the archaeological community believed that Chaoge should be Qicheng, the capital of the Kingdom of Wei during the Warring States Period, which is today's Qi County, Hebi City, Henan Province. However, when new archaeological remains were excavated, this theory was completely denied. Chaoge should be on the edge of Qishui, specifically near the Lutai ruins.
Where is Xiqi?
After the Western Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Shang Dynasty, it began an 800-year rule. The Zhou Dynasty was divided into the Western Zhou Dynasty and Eastern Zhou . The Eastern Zhou Dynasty was in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At that time, the majesty of the Zhou royal family had been exhausted and it could not command the heroes. It could only huddle around Chengzhou , which is today near Luoyang, Henan. The Western Zhou Dynasty wrested the world from the Shang Dynasty with one sword and one shot, so its position is even more unique.
The Zhou Dynasty has a long history. The ancient Zhou tribes began with the matrilineal clan, and then slowly multiplied and migrated, and finally settled in the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi. However, the living environment at that time was harsh, and the Zhou people were surrounded by other clans. In order to survive, they had to merge with the local Qiang and Hu, so there were some Qiang marks in the culture.There was no Zhou Dynasty at that time, only the Zhou tribe. After several generations of tribal leaders' leadership, the Zhou tribe had established a firm foothold in the local area and became a local hegemon. However, compared with the Shang Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty was not strong enough, so it continued to lurk in Xiqi, the place of origin. On the one hand, it confuses the Shang Dynasty kings, and on the other hand, it accumulates strength and continuously expands its sphere of influence.
At this time, the Western Zhou Dynasty was established, and the capital was set in Fengdu, which is near Hu County in Xi'an today. As the strength of the Western Zhou Dynasty became more and more powerful, the conflict between the Shang and Zhou Dynasties was inevitable. King Wu of Zhou Ji Fa moved the capital to Haojing to better conduct the war. Battle of Makino The Western Zhou Dynasty defeated the large army of the Shang Dynasty and forced King Zhou of Shang to commit suicide. The Western Zhou Dynasty also officially became the general name of a dynasty. After that, the Zhou Dynasty also moved its capital several times, including Zhou Gongdan moved the capital to Luoyi , King Mu of Zhou moved the capital to Nanzheng, King Zhou Cheng moved the capital to Chengzhou, King Yi of Zhou moved the capital to Quanqiu and so on. These relocations were special measures in special times and had strong political implications. However, Xiqi, the ancient spiritual totem of the Zhou people, has always been retained and became a symbol of the Zhou Dynasty.
As the national bird of the Western Zhou Dynasty, phoenix inscriptions were carved on various utensils and gradually became known to everyone. In the 400 years since Zhou Taiwang settled the tribe in Qishan, Qishan has been the political, economic and cultural center of the Western Zhou Dynasty. As the birthplace of the Zhou Dynasty , Xiqi is located in what is now Qishan County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. It is the origin of the ancient Yandi tribe, with a long history and rich culture, and has an extraordinary status in the history of Chinese culture.
Comparison between ancient and modern times
The Shang Dynasty started near Shangqiu City , and later gradually expanded outwards, so the capital was moved to Chaoge, which is today Hebi City . The Western Zhou Dynasty came from the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi. During that time, the capital was always Xiqi, which is now Baoji City . The determination of this kind of capital is determined by the actual situation and the form of governance, and has certain social limitations.
It seems now that these two places are not suitable as national capitals because they are slightly remote and cannot take into account the whole country. However, the territory of China during the Shang and Zhou dynasties was not as large as it is now. The ancestors had always lived in the Yellow River basin. Their outward expansion was limited and they did not implement effective rule. Therefore, in the eyes of people at that time, the choice of the capital was not question. Of course, with the progress of the times, the capital also needs to keep pace with the times. Some places with obvious shortcomings can no longer be used and need to be replaced. Therefore, in several subsequent dynasties, Chaoge and Xiqi were no longer used as the capital. Now these two places have become historical terms and disappeared in the dust. Only some ancient ruins are left for future generations to admire, losing their former glory.
Conclusion: History is so interesting. The iteration of the capital represents the changes of the times and is the most intuitive expression of history. Although the names Chaoge and Xiqi have disappeared and are no longer used, the historical depth contained in these two names will always be remembered by people.
