The geographical location of the Shang dynasty was the Yellow River valley in North eastern China. Due to the fertile land wheat was able to grow in the north and rice in the south. The topography of the land was also well suitable for the cultivation of tea and the coastline encouraged fishing and commerce. Important rivers like the Yangtze,Yellow and Mekong helped with the irrigation and trade.So, to sum it all up these bodies of water and rivers were a way of communication and trade with the other parts of east asia and the rest of the developing civilizations.
|
Tang was the first emperor of the Shang dynasty. He and his supporters/family used their extensive "military powers to dominate the region; "Tang maintained power because of his personal qualities. Written records of the Shang dynasty credit him with wisdom and justice; these characteristics earned him the loyalty of his people. The Shang civilization resembled the feudal system that arose centuries later in Western Europe. A number of small city-states existed along the Huang He and Yangtze rivers. The clan ruler of each city-state owed his loyalty to the emperor; he paid financial tribute and also provided military support when called on. In exchange, the emperor gave the clan ruler absolute power over his own city-state. Within the city-state, the clan ruler protected his people from attack by outsiders in return for their service." This system often had lots of corruption and the loyalty of the pledged could often be false and backfire in times of war.
|