Tang of Shang

Tang (Chinese: 湯; c. 1675 – 1646 BC) or Cheng Tang (成湯), recorded on oracle bones as Da Yi (大乙), was the first king of the Shang dynasty in Chinese history. He overthrew Jie, the last ruler of the Xia dynasty.

Family

Tang's given name is "Lü" (履). One of his ancestors is identified as Yilü (乙履), who was married to Jiandi (简狄), the daughter of Gaoxin-shi (高辛氏). Yilu had a son called Yao Situ (尧司徒), who was appointed as vassal by the Xia King for his contribution to the people. Thirteen generations later, Tang's father was born. He was named Zhugui (主癸).

Rise of Shang

Tang ruled Shang, one of the many kingdoms under the suzerainty of the Xia dynasty, for 17 years. During Jie's reign, Shang grew in power, initially at the expense of Xia's other vassals. He was able to win many supporters from as many as 40 smaller kingdoms. Tang recognized that Jie mistreated his people and used this to convince others. In one speech, Tang said that creating chaos is not something he wanted, but given the terror of Jie, he has to follow the Mandate of Heaven and use this opportunity to overthrow Xia. As an advantage he pointed out that even Jie's own military generals would not obey his orders.