Predynastic Shang

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Key Information

Predynastic Shang 先商
c. 21st century BC–c. 1600 BC
Status	Autonomous state within Xia dynasty
Common languages	Old Chinese
Religion	Shang state religion
Government	Chiefdom
Leader
History
• Start of Xie's rule	c. 21st century BC
• Battle of Mingtiao	c. 1600 BC
• Established dynasty	c. 1600 BC
Succeeded by Shang dynasty
	Succeeded by
	Shang dynasty
Shang dynasty
Today part of	China
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Prehistoric Paleolithic Neolithic (c. 8500 – c. 2000 BCE) Yellow, Yangtze, and Liao civilization
Ancient Xia (c. 2070 – c. 1600 BCE) Shang (c. 1600 – c. 1046 BCE) Late Shang (c. 1250 – c. 1046 BCE) Zhou (c. 1046 – c. 256 BCE) Western Zhou (1046–771 BCE) Eastern Zhou (771–256 BCE) Spring and Autumn (c. 770 – c. 476 BCE) Warring States (475–221 BCE)
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Predynastic Shang or Proto-Shang (/ʃæŋ/;^[1] Chinese: 先商) refers to the state of Shang that is believed to have existed during the Xia dynasty in ancient China, before its conquest of the Xia in approximately 1600 BC that led to the establishment of the Shang dynasty.^[2] The Predynastic Shang started from Xie, a son of Emperor Ku and the first known Shang ancestor. Xie is said to have helped Yu the Great, the founder of the Xia dynasty, to control the Great Flood and for his service to have been granted a place called Shang as a fief. The period would last until Tang defeated Jie of Xia in the Battle of Mingtiao, eventually overthrowing the Xia dynasty.

During the period of the 14 predynastic Shang rulers before Tang, the capital changed eight times.^[3] The area where early forms of Predynastic Shang culture are found include the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains in Hebei and the area around the city of Weihui in Henan, north of the Yellow River. These sites are close to places traditionally considered Xia dynasty sites, including the area of the Erlitou culture in Yanshi, although there are differences between the two cultures.^[4]