Battle of Mingtiao
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mingtiao was a battle
between the Xia Dynasty
and the Shang Dynasty
. This semi-mythological battle resulted in a Shang victory which created the circumstances for the elevation of the Duke of Shang to the throne of China
.
was passed down to Jie of Xia
, the power of the Xia clan was no longer as strong as before. Jie was generally corrupt and irresponsible. He felt that the original palace was too simple, he ordered for construction of the tilt palace. This palace took seven years and tens of thousands of slaves to build. It also used up huge sums of money. The peasants were resentful.
Meanwhile, the Shang clan near the lower reaches of Yellow River was gaining support from neighbouring tribes. Their ancestor, Qi, had worked for Yu the Great
and was given the territory of Shang. During Tang of Shang
's reign, due to agricultural development, the Shang was gaining more and more power. Tang allied with nearby tribes and treated his subjects kindly.
He also had the support of Yi Yin. Yi was originally the slave of his father-in-law. When Tang married, Yi Yin became Tang's chef. Yi also analysed the current affairs of the time and became his right-hand man. This was how Yi became known as Yi Yin.
Tang was determined to end the Xia dynasty. He agreed to comply with Jie, but in secret prepared to overthrow him. First, he moved his people to a place named Bo. The area from Bo to the Xia capital was flat, almost without any hills or rivers to stop them. He was also forgiving to his subjects, and was therefore supported by them.
As most of the nobles believed in ghosts, they believed that worshipping the gods and their ancestors was extremely important. A tribe named Ge, which was geographically near to the Shangs, did not worship their ancestors on a regular basis. They ate the cattle and sheep which Tang had given them for sacrifices, and killed the children who sent the animals. Tang conquered this tribe, and eliminated a few more. Jie, however, did not realise that Tang was a threat to his throne.
Before the army proceeded any further, Yi Yin told Tang that the army needed a boost in morale. Tang gave a speech, known historically as 'Tang's pledge', before the two armies met in Mingtiao (present-day North Anyi, Xiyun) around 1600 BC. Tang's generals and soldiers all abhorred Jie, so they fought bravely. On the contrary, Jie's troops, seeing the power of the Shangs, did not listen to his commands. They either surrendered or fled. As a result, the Shangs won the battle and set up the Shang dynasty
.
After the battle was won, Jie of Xia sought shelter in Kuenwu. After conquering Kuenwu, Tang of Shang forced Jie into exile in Nanchao (present day Chao, Anhui
). Jie stayed there until his death. Tang then eliminated the remaining Xia forces and used the Xia peasants as slaves.
, which he founded, was also the second slavery-based dynasty in Chinese history.
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
between the Xia Dynasty
Xia Dynasty
The Xia Dynasty is the first dynasty in China to be described in ancient historical chronicles such as Bamboo Annals, Classic of History and Records of the Grand Historian. The Xia Dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors gave his throne to him...
and the Shang Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
. This semi-mythological battle resulted in a Shang victory which created the circumstances for the elevation of the Duke of Shang to the throne of China
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
.
Background
When the throne of Xia dynastyXia Dynasty
The Xia Dynasty is the first dynasty in China to be described in ancient historical chronicles such as Bamboo Annals, Classic of History and Records of the Grand Historian. The Xia Dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors gave his throne to him...
was passed down to Jie of Xia
Jie of Xia
King Jie was the 17th and last ruler of the Xia dynasty of China. He is traditionally regarded as a tyrant and oppressor who brought about the collapse of a dynasty. Around 1600 BCE Jie was defeated by Shang Tang, bringing an end to the Xia Dynasty, that lasted about 500 years, and a rise to the...
, the power of the Xia clan was no longer as strong as before. Jie was generally corrupt and irresponsible. He felt that the original palace was too simple, he ordered for construction of the tilt palace. This palace took seven years and tens of thousands of slaves to build. It also used up huge sums of money. The peasants were resentful.
Meanwhile, the Shang clan near the lower reaches of Yellow River was gaining support from neighbouring tribes. Their ancestor, Qi, had worked for Yu the Great
Yu the Great
Yu the Great , was a legendary ruler of Ancient China famed for his introduction of flood control, inaugurating dynastic rule in China by founding the Xia Dynasty, and for his upright moral character....
and was given the territory of Shang. During Tang of Shang
Tang of Shang
King Cheng Tang of Shang was the first ruling king of the Shang dynasty in Chinese history. He overthrew Jie, the last ruler of the Xia dynasty.-Early life:...
's reign, due to agricultural development, the Shang was gaining more and more power. Tang allied with nearby tribes and treated his subjects kindly.
He also had the support of Yi Yin. Yi was originally the slave of his father-in-law. When Tang married, Yi Yin became Tang's chef. Yi also analysed the current affairs of the time and became his right-hand man. This was how Yi became known as Yi Yin.
Tang was determined to end the Xia dynasty. He agreed to comply with Jie, but in secret prepared to overthrow him. First, he moved his people to a place named Bo. The area from Bo to the Xia capital was flat, almost without any hills or rivers to stop them. He was also forgiving to his subjects, and was therefore supported by them.
As most of the nobles believed in ghosts, they believed that worshipping the gods and their ancestors was extremely important. A tribe named Ge, which was geographically near to the Shangs, did not worship their ancestors on a regular basis. They ate the cattle and sheep which Tang had given them for sacrifices, and killed the children who sent the animals. Tang conquered this tribe, and eliminated a few more. Jie, however, did not realise that Tang was a threat to his throne.
Battle
When a few tribes started rebelling against Xia, Tang of Shang decided that the time had come. He started his attack on Xia. Upon hearing of Tang's rebellion, Jie sent troops from the smaller territories of Gu, Wei, and Kuenwu. Yi advised Tang to put off the fight for a year, then conquered Gu and Wei, and defeated Kuenwu.Before the army proceeded any further, Yi Yin told Tang that the army needed a boost in morale. Tang gave a speech, known historically as 'Tang's pledge', before the two armies met in Mingtiao (present-day North Anyi, Xiyun) around 1600 BC. Tang's generals and soldiers all abhorred Jie, so they fought bravely. On the contrary, Jie's troops, seeing the power of the Shangs, did not listen to his commands. They either surrendered or fled. As a result, the Shangs won the battle and set up the Shang dynasty
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
.
After the battle was won, Jie of Xia sought shelter in Kuenwu. After conquering Kuenwu, Tang of Shang forced Jie into exile in Nanchao (present day Chao, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
). Jie stayed there until his death. Tang then eliminated the remaining Xia forces and used the Xia peasants as slaves.
Legacy
As Tang of Shang was a nobleman, his revolution is considered the first 'noble revolution' in Chinese history. The Shang dynastyShang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
, which he founded, was also the second slavery-based dynasty in Chinese history.