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Battle of Muye
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Battle of Muye
The Battle of Muye, Mu, or Muh (c. 1046 BC) was fought between forces of the ancient Chinese Shang dynasty led by Di Xin and the rebel state of Zhou led by King Wu. The Zhou defeated the Shang at Muye and captured the Shang capital Yin, marking the end of the Shang and the establishment of the Zhou dynasty—an event that features prominently in Chinese historiography as an example of the Mandate of Heaven theory that functioned to justify dynastic conquest throughout Chinese history.
The background to the Battle of Muye is murky, as much of the history is written from the perspectives of the prevailing Western Zhou dynasty and subsequent rulers. As centuries went on, narratives about the battle, particularly around the attitudes towards Di Xin, became progressively more vitriolic, and would embellish the details. Therefore, a neutral account is difficult to produce.
By the 12th century BC, Shang influence extended west to the Wei River valley, a region that was occupied by clans known as the Predynastic Zhou. King Wen of Zhou, the ruler of the Zhou and vassal of the Shang king, was given the title "Overlord of the West" by Di Xin, then-ruler of Shang. As an ally state, King Wen and the Predynastic Zhou would guard Shang's rear while Di Xin was involved in campaigns to the east, particularly against the Renfang 人方, Linfang 林方, and Hufang 虎方. These wars were costly to the Shang and drained their resources. King Wen's performance as "Overlord of the West" was admirable, and so he was made one of Di Xin's "Three Dukes," along with Marquesses Jiu and E.
At some point, Di Xin allegedly killed the daughter of Marquess Jiu who had been gifted to him, and then minced the Marquess himself, and then the Marquess of E. King Wen of Zhou learned of this and let out a sigh. Marquess Hu of Chong told Di Xin of the sigh, which led to King Wen's imprisonment. Although Wen was later released, the tension between Shang and Zhou grew. Wen prepared his army and conquered a few smaller states which were loyal to Shang, slowly weakening Shang allies, including the sacking of the State of Chong and founding Chengyi (程邑) and a new capital in Fengjing in its territories. However, King Wen died in 1050 BC before Zhou's actual offensive against Shang could begin, leaving King Wu of Zhou to continue his legacy. Despite reports of the conquests in the Wei River valley and depleting power, Di Xin was unconcerned about Zhou's progress, as he allegedly believed his rule was secured by the Mandate of Heaven.
King Wen's son King Wu of Zhou led the Zhou in a revolt a few years after King Wen's death. The reason for this delay was that King Wu believed that the heavenly order to conquer Shang had not been given as he approached the Mengjin ford, as well as the advice of Jiang Ziya to wait for the right opportunity. There was also an account of two boys, Boyi and Shuqi, who would go on a hunger strike in protest of the battle until their deaths.
Contemporary sentiment towards Di Xin is difficult to gauge, but was seen as a significant contributing factor to the Zhou conquest of Shang for a significant length of time. Subsequent histories were politically and culturally aligned with the conquering Zhou, and historical accounts of Di Xin grew more egregious over time. In earlier sources, he is depicted as benighted and ineffectual; whereas after a few centuries, he is described as a monstrous torturer, universally despised. For example, in Records of the Grand Historian, he is described as overindulging in alcohol and sex with his consort Daji, torturing dissidents, and abandoning feng (豊), the Shang conception of ancestor veneration.
However, these charges made by the Zhou are not reflected in contemporary evidence, and later scholars, such as Wang Chong and Luo Mi, dispute these claims. Daji, the villainous consort alleged to have convinced Di Xin to conduct his wicked deeds, is not seen in oracle bone evidence. The oracle bone evidence from Di Xin's period that is extant demonstrates sacrifices made towards Di Yi and other ancestors, and the rewarding of citizens for participating in ritual like any other ruler. However, it is noted that ritual practice under Di Xin had become more centralised, which could be a source of tension. Therefore, whether the rebellion against the Shang was due to Di Xin's attitude is unclear at best.
With just 45,000 men and a few hundred wagons, the Zhou were initially hugely outnumbered – even though most of the Shang forces were at war to the east, Di Xin organized some 170,000 troops. However, many of Di Xin's fighters were allegedly slaves, and he thought that despite low troop morale, his army's superior numbers could, if not defeat, then at least slow down the rebels until reinforcements could arrive. He was wrong. The majority of his Shang troops fled or joined the Zhou, and the few who did not were easily overwhelmed by the Zhou forces.
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Battle of Muye
The Battle of Muye, Mu, or Muh (c. 1046 BC) was fought between forces of the ancient Chinese Shang dynasty led by Di Xin and the rebel state of Zhou led by King Wu. The Zhou defeated the Shang at Muye and captured the Shang capital Yin, marking the end of the Shang and the establishment of the Zhou dynasty—an event that features prominently in Chinese historiography as an example of the Mandate of Heaven theory that functioned to justify dynastic conquest throughout Chinese history.
The background to the Battle of Muye is murky, as much of the history is written from the perspectives of the prevailing Western Zhou dynasty and subsequent rulers. As centuries went on, narratives about the battle, particularly around the attitudes towards Di Xin, became progressively more vitriolic, and would embellish the details. Therefore, a neutral account is difficult to produce.
By the 12th century BC, Shang influence extended west to the Wei River valley, a region that was occupied by clans known as the Predynastic Zhou. King Wen of Zhou, the ruler of the Zhou and vassal of the Shang king, was given the title "Overlord of the West" by Di Xin, then-ruler of Shang. As an ally state, King Wen and the Predynastic Zhou would guard Shang's rear while Di Xin was involved in campaigns to the east, particularly against the Renfang 人方, Linfang 林方, and Hufang 虎方. These wars were costly to the Shang and drained their resources. King Wen's performance as "Overlord of the West" was admirable, and so he was made one of Di Xin's "Three Dukes," along with Marquesses Jiu and E.
At some point, Di Xin allegedly killed the daughter of Marquess Jiu who had been gifted to him, and then minced the Marquess himself, and then the Marquess of E. King Wen of Zhou learned of this and let out a sigh. Marquess Hu of Chong told Di Xin of the sigh, which led to King Wen's imprisonment. Although Wen was later released, the tension between Shang and Zhou grew. Wen prepared his army and conquered a few smaller states which were loyal to Shang, slowly weakening Shang allies, including the sacking of the State of Chong and founding Chengyi (程邑) and a new capital in Fengjing in its territories. However, King Wen died in 1050 BC before Zhou's actual offensive against Shang could begin, leaving King Wu of Zhou to continue his legacy. Despite reports of the conquests in the Wei River valley and depleting power, Di Xin was unconcerned about Zhou's progress, as he allegedly believed his rule was secured by the Mandate of Heaven.
King Wen's son King Wu of Zhou led the Zhou in a revolt a few years after King Wen's death. The reason for this delay was that King Wu believed that the heavenly order to conquer Shang had not been given as he approached the Mengjin ford, as well as the advice of Jiang Ziya to wait for the right opportunity. There was also an account of two boys, Boyi and Shuqi, who would go on a hunger strike in protest of the battle until their deaths.
Contemporary sentiment towards Di Xin is difficult to gauge, but was seen as a significant contributing factor to the Zhou conquest of Shang for a significant length of time. Subsequent histories were politically and culturally aligned with the conquering Zhou, and historical accounts of Di Xin grew more egregious over time. In earlier sources, he is depicted as benighted and ineffectual; whereas after a few centuries, he is described as a monstrous torturer, universally despised. For example, in Records of the Grand Historian, he is described as overindulging in alcohol and sex with his consort Daji, torturing dissidents, and abandoning feng (豊), the Shang conception of ancestor veneration.
However, these charges made by the Zhou are not reflected in contemporary evidence, and later scholars, such as Wang Chong and Luo Mi, dispute these claims. Daji, the villainous consort alleged to have convinced Di Xin to conduct his wicked deeds, is not seen in oracle bone evidence. The oracle bone evidence from Di Xin's period that is extant demonstrates sacrifices made towards Di Yi and other ancestors, and the rewarding of citizens for participating in ritual like any other ruler. However, it is noted that ritual practice under Di Xin had become more centralised, which could be a source of tension. Therefore, whether the rebellion against the Shang was due to Di Xin's attitude is unclear at best.
With just 45,000 men and a few hundred wagons, the Zhou were initially hugely outnumbered – even though most of the Shang forces were at war to the east, Di Xin organized some 170,000 troops. However, many of Di Xin's fighters were allegedly slaves, and he thought that despite low troop morale, his army's superior numbers could, if not defeat, then at least slow down the rebels until reinforcements could arrive. He was wrong. The majority of his Shang troops fled or joined the Zhou, and the few who did not were easily overwhelmed by the Zhou forces.
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