Jiandi 簡狄, the mother of the Shang's first ancestor Xie 契 (daughter of a noble called You Song [You Song] 有娀 and second wife of Emperor Di Ku [Diku] 帝嚳), is said to have conceived when she ate a black egg that had dropped from the sky. Xie is also thought to have been a descendant of the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di, Huangdi 黃帝). The black bird seemed to have been a kind of heraldic symbol or totem animal of the Shang people. The Shang adressed their ancestors with numbers of the Celestial Stems (tiangan 天干; jia 甲 "1", yi 乙 "2", bing 丙 "3", ding 丁 "4", etc.), probably expressing kinship relation (certain royal lines expressed by certain numbers), but in the late Anyang period also bestowed to them a honorative name like Wen 文 "the Cultured", Wu 武 "the Martial". The posthumous title of the Shang rulers is Di 帝 "godlike ancestor". In oracle bone inscriptions the rulers are also posthumously adressed "Father XY" (Fu 父), "Older Brother XY" (Xiong 兄), "Second/Third/Fourth Ancestor XY" (Er/San/Sizu 二/三/四祖). See also titles of rulers. The Shang Dynasty Rulers Residences: Bo 亳 (Caoxian 曹縣/Shandong), Ao 隞 or 囂 (Yingyang 滎陽/Henan), Xiang 相 (Neihuang 內黃/Henan), Geng [Xing] 邢 or 耿 (Xingtai 邢台/Hebei or Wenxian 溫縣/Henan), Bi 庇 (Yuncheng 鄆城/Shandong), Yan 奄 (Qufu 曲阜/Shandong), Yin 殷 or called Beimeng 北蒙 (Anyang 安陽/Henan), Mo 沬 or Chaoge 朝歌 (Qixian 淇縣/Henan) First ancestor Xie 契 (son of Gao Xin [Gaoxin] 高辛, grandson of Jiao Ji [Jiaoji] 蟜極, great-grandson of Xuan Ao [Xuanao, Xuan'ao] 玄囂, and great-great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor [Huang Di, Huangdi 黃帝]; dynastic title Shang Jia [Shangjia] 上甲) son: Zhao Ming (Zhaoming) 昭明 son: Xiang Tu (Xiangtu) 相土 son: Chang Ruo (Changruo) 昌若 son: Cao Yu (Caoyu) 曹圉 son: Ming 冥 son: Zhen 振 or Wang Hai (Wanghai) 王亥 son: Wei 微 or Shang Jia Wei (Shangjia Wei) 上甲微 son: Bao Ding (Baoding) 報丁 (in oracle texts after Bao Bing) son: Bao Yi (Baoyi) 報乙 son: Bao Bing (Baobing) 報丙 son: Zhu Ren (Zhuren) 主壬 or Shi Ren (Shiren) 示壬 son: Zhu Gui (Zhugui) 主癸 or Shi Gui (Shigui) 示癸 son: Tian Yi (Tianyi) 天乙 or Da Yi (Dayi) 大乙, called Cheng Tang (Chengtang) 成湯 dynastic title {temple name} different title in oracle texts personal name residence (reign time) Da Yi (Dayi) 大乙 or Tian Yi (Tianyi) 天乙 His minister was Yi Yin (Yiyin) 伊尹. Tang 唐, Xian 咸 (?) Tang the Perfect (Cheng Tang [Chengtang]) 成湯, Shang Lü 商履 Bo, later Shangyi (29 years) Tai Ding (Taiding) 太丁 Tang's oldest son, died before accession. Da Ding (Dading) 大丁 Wai Bing (Waibing) 外丙 In oracle texts after Da Jia. Bu Bing (Bubing) 卜丙 Sheng 勝 Bo (2/3 years) Zhong Ren (Zhongren) 中壬 (or 仲任) Nan Ren (Nanren) 南壬 (?) Yong 庸 Bo (4 years) Tai Jia (Taijia) 太甲 (or Da Jia [Dajia ]大甲) {Taizong 太宗} He killed the meritorious minister Yi Yin who wanted to make himself ruler. idem Zhi 至 Bo (12 years) Wo Ding (Woding) 沃丁 Qiang Ding (Qiangding) 羌丁 (?) Xun 絢 Bo (19 years) Tai Geng (Taigeng) 太庚 (or Da Geng; Dageng 大庚), also called Xiao Geng (Xiaogeng) 小庚; erroneously Tai Kang (Taikang) 太康, Xiao Kang (Xiaokang) 小康 idem Bian 辨 Bo (5 years) Xiao Jia (Xiaojia) 小甲 idem Gao 高 Bo (17 years) Yong Ji (Yongji) 雍己 Lü Ji (Lüji) 呂己 (?) Dian 佃 or Zhou 伷 Bo (12 years) Tai Wu (Taiwu) 太戊 (or Da Wu, Dawu 大戊) {Zhongzong 中宗} Tian Wu (Tianwu) 天戊, Zu Wu (Zuwu) 祖戊 Mi 密 Bo (75 years) Lü Ji (Lüji) 呂己 (only in oracle texts; identical with Yong Ji?) Zhong Ding (Zhongding) 中丁 (or 仲丁) Sanzu Ding 三祖丁 Zhuang 莊 Ao (9 years) Wai Ren (Wairen) 外壬 Bu Ren (Buren) 卜壬 Fa 發 Ao (10 years) Hedan Jia (Hedanjia) 河亶甲 Jian Jia (Jianjia) 戔錢 Zheng 整 Xiang (9 years) Zu Yi (Zuyi) 祖乙 {Zhongzong 中宗, Gaozu 高祖} Xia Yi (Xiayi) 下乙, Ru Yi (Ruyi) 入乙 Teng 滕 Geng (19 years) Zu Xin (Zuxin) 祖辛 idem Dan 旦 Bi (4 years) Wo Jia (Wojia) 沃甲, Kai Jia (Kaijia) 開甲 Qiang Jia (Qiangjia) 羌甲, Long Jia (Longjia) 龍甲 Yu 踰 Bi (5 years) Zu Ding (Zuding) 祖丁 Xiao Ding (Xiaoding) 小丁, Sizu Ding 四祖丁 Xin 新 Bi (9 years) Nan Geng (Nangeng) 南庚; erroneously: Nan Kang (Nankang) 南康 Zu Geng (Zu Geng) 祖庚 Geng 更 Bi, later Yan (6 years) Yang Jia (Yangjia) 陽甲, He Jia (Hejia) 和甲 or 魺甲 Xiang Jia (Xiangjia) {象/口}甲, Fu Jia 父甲, Zu Jia (Zujia) 祖甲 He 和 Yan (4 years) Pan Geng (Pangeng) 盤庚 Fu Geng 父庚, Zu Geng (Zugeng) 祖庚, Sanzu Geng 三祖庚 Xun 旬 Yan, later Yin (28 years) Xiao Xin (Xiaoxin) 小辛 Fu Xin 父辛, Erzu Xin 二祖辛 Song 頌 Yin (3 years) Xiao Yi (Xiaoyi) 小乙 Fu Yi 父乙, Xiaozu Yi 小祖乙, Houzu Yi 后祖乙 Jian 歛 Yin (10 years) Wu Ding (Wuding) 武丁 {Gaozong 高宗} Wu Ding is the first historic ruler, ca. 1150 BC; his minister was Fu Yue 傅說 Fu Ding 父丁, Zu Ding (Zuding) 祖丁, Houzu Ding 后祖丁, Di Ding (Diding) 帝丁 Zhao 昭 Yin (59 years) Zu Ji (Zuji) 祖己 or Xiao Ji (Xiaoji) 孝己 Probably a son of Wu Ding who did not come to the throne Fu Ji 父己, Xiong Ji 兄己, Xiao Wang (Xiaowang) 小王, Zhong Ji (Zhongji) 中己 Zu Geng (Zugeng) 祖庚 or Zu Kang (Zukang) 祖康 Fu Geng 父庚, Xiong Geng 兄庚 Yao 曜 Yin (11 years) Zu Jia (Zujia) 祖甲, Di Jia (Dijia) 帝甲 Fu Jia 父甲 Dai 載 Yin (33 years) Lin Xin (Linxin) 廩辛 or Feng Xin 馮辛 (Fengxin) Sanzu Xin 三祖辛, Fu Xin 父辛, Xiong Xin 兄辛 Xian 先 Yin (4 years) Geng Ding (Gengding) 庚丁; erroneously: Kang Ding (Kangding) 康丁 Fu Ding 父丁, Geng Zu Ding 庚祖丁 Ao 囂 Yin (8 years) Wu Yi (Wuyi) 武乙 He enfeoffed the ancestor of Zhou 周, Dan Fu (Danfu) 亶父, with the fiefdom Qi 岐 Fu Yi 父乙, Wu Zu Yi 武祖乙 Di 瞿 Yin, later Hebei, later Mo (35 years) Wen Ding (Wending) 文丁, Tai Ding (Taiding) 太丁 or Da Ding (Dading) 大丁 He imprisoned the Li Ji 季歷, the Duke of Zhou, who died in prison Fu Ding 父丁, Wen Wu Ding 文武丁 Tuo 托 Yin (13 years) Di Yi (Diyi) 帝乙 His oldest son, Prince Qi of Wei 微子啟 did not succeed; Prince Qi was later enfeoffed as Duke of Song 宋 by King Wu of Zhou 周武王 -- Xian 羨 Yin (9 years) Di Xin (Dixin) 帝辛 King Zhou was the last depraved ruler of Shang, enticed by his consort Da Ji (Daji) 妲己, daughter of the noble You Su [Yousu] 有蘇; he imprisoned the Viscount of the West (Xi Bo) 西伯, the father of later King Wu of Zhou -- Zhou 紂, Shou 受 Yin (52 years, ca. 1050 BC) Note to aggregation of names in transcription: In posthumous titles of rulers as appearing in traditional historiography, both variants are given (aggregation and separation, like: Di Xin [Dixin]). If the posthumous titles as appearing in oracle bone inscriptions contain terms of kinship ("Father XY", "Older Brother XY", "Second/Third/Fourth Ancestor XY"), such terms are separated from the "number" (jia, yi, bing, ding, etc.), like: Xiong Ji, Fu Ding, Sanzu Yi. Without such kinship terms both variants are given (Bu Ren [Buren]).

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