Shang Dynasty

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Shang kingdom.

The Shāng Dynasty (Chinese: 商朝) or Yīn Dynasty (殷代) (ca. 1600 BC - ca. 1046 BC) is the first dynasty in China. It began from the Yellow River valley. The Shang Dynasty was after the Xià Dynasty (which is mostly a legend) and before the Zhōu Dynasty. Most of what we know about the Shang Dynasty is from reading pictures on oracle bones and bronze objects.

[edit] Kings

Posthumous names
Convention: posthumous name or King + posthumous name
Order	Reign	Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Notes
01	29	湯	Tāng	a Sage king; overthrew king Jié (桀) of Xià (夏)
02	02	外丙	Wài Bǐng
03	04	仲壬	Zhòng Rén
04	33	太甲	Tài Jiǎ
05	29	沃丁	Wò Dǐng
06	25	太庚	Tài Gēng
07	36	小甲	Xiǎo Jiǎ
08	12	雍己	Yōng Jǐ
09	75	太戊	Tài Wù
10	11	仲丁	Zhòng Dīng
11	15	外壬	Wài Rén
12	09	河亶甲	Hé Dǎn Jiǎ
13	19	祖乙	Zǔ Yǐ
14	16	祖辛	Zǔ Xīn
15	20	沃甲	Wò Jiǎ
16	32	祖丁	Zǔ Dīng
17	29	南庚	Nán Gēng
18	07	陽甲	Yáng Jiǎ
19	28	盤庚	Pán Gēng	Shang finally created their home at Yīn (殷). The time starting from Pán Gēng is also called the Yīn Dynasty, beginning the golden age of the Shāng dynasty. Oracle bone pictures are thought to date at least to Pán Gēng's era.
20	21	小辛	Xiǎo Xīn
21	21	小乙	Xiǎo Yǐ
22	59	武丁	Wǔ Dīng
23	07	祖庚	Zǔ Gēng
24	33	祖甲	Zǔ Jiǎ
25	06	廩辛	Lǐn Xīn
26	06	庚丁	Gēng Dīng	or Kang Ding (康丁 Kāng Dīng)
27	04	武乙	Wǔ Yǐ
28	03	太丁	Tài Dīng	or Wen Ding (文丁 Wén Dīng)
29	37	帝乙	Dì Yǐ
30	33	帝辛	Dì Xīn	aka Zhòu (紂), Zhòu Xīn (紂辛) or Zhòu Wáng (紂王). Can also be said by adding "Shāng" (商) in front of any of these names.
Note: All dates are about at 841 BC. See Zhou dynasty for more facts about it. Many names were not known. These names were given after the death of the king.td>