Da Ding of Shang
Encyclopedia
Tai Ding or Da Ding was the eldest son of King Tang
but sources are conflicted as to whether he actually succeeded his father as a Shang Dynasty
King of China or not.
In the Records of the Grand Historian
he was said by Sima Qian
to have died at an early age without succeeding his father King Tang
. He was given the posthumous name
Tai Ding (Chinese: 太丁) and the throne passed to his younger brother Wai Bing and later to his own son Tai Jia
.
Oracle script inscriptions on bones
unearthed at Yinxu
alternatively record that he was the second Shang king, given the posthumous name Da Ding (Chinese: 大丁), and succeeded by his sons Dai Jia (Tai Jia
) and Bu Bing (Wai Bing).
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:...
but sources are conflicted as to whether he actually succeeded his father as a 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...
King of China or not.
In the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
he was said by Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
to have died at an early age without succeeding his father King Tang
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:...
. He was given the posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Tai Ding (Chinese: 太丁) and the throne passed to his younger brother Wai Bing and later to his own son Tai Jia
Tai Jia
Tai Jia was the son of Tai Ding and a Shang Dynasty King of China.In the Records of the Grand Historian he was listed by Sima Qian as the fourth Shang king, succeeding his uncles Wai Bing and Zhong Ren...
.
Oracle script inscriptions on bones
Oracle bone
Oracle bones are pieces of bone normally from ox scapula or turtle plastron which were used for divination chiefly during the late Shang Dynasty. The bones were first inscribed with divination in oracle bone script by using a bronze pin, and then heated until crack lines appeared in which the...
unearthed at Yinxu
Yinxu
Yinxu is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty. The capital served 255 years for 12 kings in 8 generations.Rediscovered in 1899, it is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites in China and is one of the historical capitals of China and a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
alternatively record that he was the second Shang king, given the posthumous name Da Ding (Chinese: 大丁), and succeeded by his sons Dai Jia (Tai Jia
Tai Jia
Tai Jia was the son of Tai Ding and a Shang Dynasty King of China.In the Records of the Grand Historian he was listed by Sima Qian as the fourth Shang king, succeeding his uncles Wai Bing and Zhong Ren...
) and Bu Bing (Wai Bing).