Shang2

商

SHANG GENEALOGY

(Decline)

Zǐ Dì Zǔdīng (子 帝 祖丁), Sixteenth Emperor of Shang. He had issue:

• 1) Zǐ Dì Yángjiǎ (子 帝 阳甲), Eighteenth Emperor of Shang (see below)

• 2) Zǐ Dì Pángēng (子 帝 盘庚), Nineteenth Emperor of Shang (see below)

• 3) Zǐ Dì Xiǎoxīn (子 帝 小辛), Twentieth Emperor of Shang (see below)

• 4) Zǐ Dì Xiǎoyǐ (子 帝 小乙), Twenty-First Emperor of Shang (see below)

Zǐ Dì Nángēng (子 帝 南庚), Seventeenth Emperor of Shang.

Zǐ Dì Yángjiǎ (子 帝 阳甲), Eighteenth Emperor of Shang. Under his rule, the Shang declined further.

Zǐ Dì Pángēng (子 帝 盘庚), Nineteenth Emperor of Shang. He moved the capital to Yen, and then back to Bò, which he renamed Yin (Near modern Anyang). By following the example of the dynastic founder, Chéngtāng, he restored the empire to greatness. Then he died, and the decline continued.

Zǐ Dì Xiǎoxīn (子 帝 小辛), Twentieth Emperor of Shang. He proved a poor ruler and did not continue his brother’s policies; Shang’s decline continued.

Zǐ Dì Xiǎoyǐ (子 帝 小乙), Twenty-First Emperor of Shang. He had issue:

• 1) Zǐ Dì Wǔdīng, Twenty-Second Emperor of Shang (see below).

Zǐ Dì Wǔdīng (子 帝 武丁), Twenty-Second Emperor of Shang. He desired a sage to advise him, and therefore remained in silence for three years until he learnt of the sage Yuè in a dream. He led a righteous life, leading Shang to enjoy great prosperity. He was worshipped after his death at Gāozōng Temple. He had issue:

• 1) Zǐ Dì Zǔgēng (子 帝 祖庚), Twenty-Third Emperor of Shang (see below)

• 2) Zǐ Dì Jiǎ (子 帝 甲), Twenty-Fourth Emperor of Shang (see below)

Zǐ Dì Zǔgēng (子 帝 祖庚), Twenty-Third Emperor of Shang. He was a good king in the model of his father.

Zǐ Dì Jiǎ (子 帝 甲), Twenty-Fourth Emperor of Shang, born Zǐ Zǔjiǎ (子 祖甲). He was a corrupt ruler and, as a result, Shang declined again. He had issue:

• 1) Zǐ Dì Lǐnxīn (子 帝 廪辛), Twenty-Fifth Emperor of Shang (see below).

• 2) Zǐ Dì Gēngdīng (子 帝 庚丁), Twenty-Sixth Emperor of Shang (see below).

Zǐ Dì Lǐnxīn (子 帝 廪辛), Twenty-Fifth Emperor of Shang.

Zǐ Dì Gēngdīng (子 帝 庚丁), Twenty-Sixth Emperor of Shang. He had issue, including:

• 1) Zǐ Dì Wǔyǐ (子 帝 武乙), Twenty-Seventh Emperor of Shang (see below).

Zǐ Dì Wǔyǐ (子 帝 武乙), Twenty-Seventh Emperor of Shang. He made idols of the gods and gambled with them, and generally ruled like a tyrant. He may have moved the capital to Jaogo. He was struck dead by lightening as punishment for his impiety. He had issue:

• 1) Zǐ Dì Tàidīng (子 帝 太丁), Twenty-Eighth Emperor of Shang (see below).

Zǐ Dì Tàidīng (子 帝 太丁), Twenty-Eighth Emperor of Shang. He had issue:

• 1) Zǐ Dì Yǐ (子 帝 乙), Twenty-Ninth Emperor of Shang (see below)

• 2) Zǐ Bǐgàn (子 比干). He was a worthy man, who gave wise advice to the corrupt Twentieth Emperor of Shang, but was ignored and eventually, disemboweled.

Zǐ Dì Yǐ (子 帝 乙), Twenty-Ninth Emperor of Shang. He was even worse than his predecessors. He had issue:

• 1) Wēi-zǐ Zǐ Qǐ (微子 子 啟), Viscount of Wēi. He was only son of concubine, and thus could not succeed  to the throne.

• 2) Zǐ Dì Xīn Zhòu Shòu (子 帝 辛 紂 受), Thirtieth Emperor of Shang (see below).

Zǐ Dì Xīn Zhòu Shòu (子 帝 辛 紂 受), Thirtieth Emperor of Shang. He was smart, strong and wise, but he was also impious, pleasure-loving and tyrannical. He taxed the country heavily to pay for his pleasure-dome, at Shāqiū, where he hosted orgies in a forest of meat by a lake of wine. He used to punish people by roasting them alive on a bronze spit. Eventually he was toppled by a rebellion of the feudal lords, led by Zhōu Wǔ, who founded the Zhou Dynasty. He married (first) Yǒusū Dájǐ, who inspired the Emperor to ever-greater corruption, she was executed by Zhōu Wǔ. He married (second), the daughter of the Marquis of Jiǔ, who refused to participate in the Emperor’s debauchery and was executed along with her father. He threw himself into a fire, rather than be taken prisoner by Zhōu Wǔ and died. He had issue:

• 1) Zǐ Wǔgēng Lùfù (子 武庚 祿父). After his father was overthrown he was granted a fiefdom by Zhōu Wǔ, but he later revolted and was killed.